Senior Bowl week has concluded ahead of Saturday’s game, which begins the unofficial kickoff of the 2026 NFL season. All 32 NFL teams were present in Mobile, Alabama, this week, including the Super Bowl participants, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. Some teams had head coaches in town, while most had general managers in attendance.
The Washington Commanders‘ contingent was led by GM Adam Peters. This is a massive offseason for Peters, which begins with free agency in March. The Commanders have plenty of money to spend but many needs. While Washington has needs on offense, particularly at wide receiver and tight end, much of its attention should be focused on defense.
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The Commanders hold the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The best defensive player, regardless of position, should be in play for Washington. While some of the top players, such as Rueben Bain and David Bailey, pulled out of the Senior Bowl, there were several excellent players in Mobile this week, impressing NFL scouts.
Here are six players to watch for the Commanders in Saturday’s game, as we focus on positions of need.
Notre Dame WR Malachi Fields
Malachi Fields helped himself with a big week in Mobile. The 6-foot-4 wideout spent four seasons at Virginia before transferring to Notre Dame. While Fields didn’t put up huge numbers for the Fighting Irish, his potential is clear. Fields showed a little bit of everything this week in front of NFL scouts. He has the size, hands and he’s willing to block. Most importantly, he plays to his size. It’s a deep wide receiver class, so someone will get a bargain in Fields. He’s been in offenses that haven’t helped him reach his potential. The Commanders could use a big receiver.
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EDGE Zion Young
The 6-foot-5, 262-pound Young began his career at Michigan State. After playing a part-time role for two years, he transferred to Missouri. In 2024, Young posted numbers similar to those from his first two collegiate seasons. In 2025, Young took off, finishing with 42 tackles, including 16.5 for loss and 6.5 sacks. Amazingly, he had 56. pressures last season. Young is still only 21, and his progression is what you look for when evaluating college players. Young has terrific length. He’s fast, but it’s his power that sets him apart. If the Commanders trade back to acquire more picks, Young could be a player to watch. He’s the edge rusher not many are talking about yet.
Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker
T.J. Parker looked like a future top-5 pick after his breakout 2024 season. His 2025 season saw him finish with 37 tackles, including 9.5 for loss and five sacks. Those aren’t bad numbers, unless you compare them to 2024. Parker looked like a top prospect again after a dominant week. He’s proven he can get to the passer, but Parker can set the edge. He is not a one-trick pony. The Commanders need a young edge rusher who can defend the run and get to the quarterback. Parker can do both. He will be one of the more interesting prospects to watch in the game.
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Texas Tech DT Lee Hunter
Lee Hunter has dominant size, but he’s also an impressive athlete. He entered the week as a borderline first-round prospect. He ended the week of practice as a lock to go in the first round. If you want a big defensive tackle to anchor the run, Hunter is your guy. However, his first step is phenomenal, and he could be a good pass rusher at the next level, too. The Commanders could use a young impact interior defender, especially if they trade back. Daron Payne’s future is uncertain, and Johnny Newton has yet to look like a former Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Pittsburgh LB Kyle Louis
Kyle Louis was the best player on the field this week. Period. He may be a bit undersized (6-foot-0, 224), but that matters less in the current NFL. Louis can do everything. He possesses tremendous instincts, he hits hard and he’s a sure tackler. Louis will run fast in the 40-yard dash, but, most importantly, he plays at that speed. He was timed at over 21 MPH in a game last year. A former first-team All-American, Louis is a secret no more. Washington’s goal is to get younger and faster this offseason. Finding a way to get Louis would help in both areas. Did we mention he could cover, too? If your goal is to just find good football players, there weren’t any better than Louis this week, which lines up with his time at Pitt.
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TCU S Bud Clark
A dream scenario for the Commanders would be finding a way to land an edge rusher, Louis and Clark. That’s almost impossible without second and fourth-round picks, unless there is a trade back. Clark was a turnover-creating machine in college. Clark had a terrific week in Mobile. His week of practice matches up with what we’ve seen each week from Clark during his college career. Clark would be a Day-1 starter for Washington. Clark can do a little bit of everything. Much like Louis, Clark is a really good football player.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: 2026 Senior Bowl: 6 prospects to watch for Commanders
