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Can another Day 3 Washington Commanders' draft pick land a starring role in 2026?
In 2025, the Commanders spent a seventh-round pick on Arizona running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, aka Bill. All Bill did was play in every game for Washington, making seven starts and leading the team with 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
Not bad for a seventh-round pick who began his college career at Alabama State after being a zero-star recruit out of high school.
Could lightning strike twice for the Commanders? In the 2026 NFL Draft, Washington selected Penn State running back Kaytron "Fatman" Allen in the sixth round. The 2026 class was not considered nearly as deep as the 2025 class, so many believed the Commanders landed a steal at pick No. 187.
The 5-foot-11, 216-pound Allen is Penn State's all-time leading rusher, an impressive feat when you consider some of the all-time greats who have toted the rock for the Nittany Lions. Allen ran for 4,180 yards and 39 touchdowns during his college career. And despite lasting until the sixth round, Allen did something that no other running back in the 2026 draft class did, but Jeremiyah Love, who went No. 3 overall.
Does Allen have a clear path to becoming Washington's starting running back? I would not go that far, but Allen was an intriguing pick for the Commanders. It was clear this offseason that Washington loves Croskey-Merritt, but wasn't 100% convinced he could be the unquestioned RB1. The Commanders brought back veteran Jeremy McNichols, who plays a variety of roles, and signed veterans Rachaad White and Jerome Ford to one-year deals in free agency.
Allen does have a clear path to immediate playing time. Croskey-Merritt is going nowhere and has the higher upside. However, Allen is consistent, gets the tough yards, is patient, and, most importantly, does not fumble. There's certainly a path for Allen to become a significant part of a timeshare situation in the Commanders' backfield in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Can lightning strike twice in 2026?
Continue reading...
In 2025, the Commanders spent a seventh-round pick on Arizona running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, aka Bill. All Bill did was play in every game for Washington, making seven starts and leading the team with 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
Not bad for a seventh-round pick who began his college career at Alabama State after being a zero-star recruit out of high school.
Could lightning strike twice for the Commanders? In the 2026 NFL Draft, Washington selected Penn State running back Kaytron "Fatman" Allen in the sixth round. The 2026 class was not considered nearly as deep as the 2025 class, so many believed the Commanders landed a steal at pick No. 187.
The 5-foot-11, 216-pound Allen is Penn State's all-time leading rusher, an impressive feat when you consider some of the all-time greats who have toted the rock for the Nittany Lions. Allen ran for 4,180 yards and 39 touchdowns during his college career. And despite lasting until the sixth round, Allen did something that no other running back in the 2026 draft class did, but Jeremiyah Love, who went No. 3 overall.
Does Allen have a clear path to becoming Washington's starting running back? I would not go that far, but Allen was an intriguing pick for the Commanders. It was clear this offseason that Washington loves Croskey-Merritt, but wasn't 100% convinced he could be the unquestioned RB1. The Commanders brought back veteran Jeremy McNichols, who plays a variety of roles, and signed veterans Rachaad White and Jerome Ford to one-year deals in free agency.
Allen does have a clear path to immediate playing time. Croskey-Merritt is going nowhere and has the higher upside. However, Allen is consistent, gets the tough yards, is patient, and, most importantly, does not fumble. There's certainly a path for Allen to become a significant part of a timeshare situation in the Commanders' backfield in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Can lightning strike twice in 2026?
Continue reading...
