The Washington Commanders selected Joshua Josephs with the No. 147 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, adding a Tennessee pass rusher to a defense that spent the offseason trying to rebuild its pass rush. Josephs, a four-year contributor at Tennessee, brings 104 tackles, 9.5 sacks and eight pass breakups into the league.
Josephs was a two-year starter in 2024 and 2025 and led Tennessee with three forced fumbles two years ago, giving Washington a player who flashed production as well as disruption. The Commanders had already signed Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson in free agency, but with several players carrying contracts that expired in 2027, the long-term picture on the edge still needed help.
That is where Josephs fits. NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein described him as a long, upright edge defender with an NBA-caliber wingspan and room to keep filling out his frame. Zierlein said Josephs uses his arms to stay separated from blocks and spill runs wide, but needs to get bigger and stronger to better handle NFL blocking. He also pointed to long strides, plus closing burst and a pass rush built on effort and burst that can be slowed by a predictable track.
Commanders analyst Logan Paulsen was even more direct about what Tennessee used Josephs to do. Paulsen called him part of the hockey defensive line rotation, said he has long arms and a good get off, and noted that he constantly stresses tackles as a rusher. Paulsen also called him a gamble, though one worth taking based on the film.
That is the trade Washington made at No. 147: a developmental project with clear traits, some real production and enough questions about power and consistency to make him a mid-round bet rather than a finished piece. The Commanders are still trying to deepen the edge rotation, and Josephs now becomes part of that effort from day one.