Exterior of Northwest Stadium I took while walking up to the stadium. 📷 Ricoh GR IV Monochrome

Commanders Locker Room

Although I've had the opportunity and privilege to cover the Commanders over the last 3 years, one place I've never photographed is their locker room.

When I read in the brief that the locker room would be open to fans and the press, I knew it would be a great opportunity to get photographs I typically don't have the access to create.

Signage posted outside of the Commanders locker room indicating credential requirements typically required to enter. 📷 Ricoh GR IV Monochrome

Upon walking into the locker room I was greeted with the brand new uniforms that the team will wear during the 2026-2027 NFL season.

The burgundy and white/all black alternate uniforms on display in the Commanders locker room.

Detail shots of the new logo, NFL emblem, stitching of the numbers.

Moving past the new uniforms, I noticed that the three super bowl trophies were on display. Unfortunately, something I didn't account for was the effect that the reflection and glare of the lights would have on the display case.

Having a circular polarizer in my bag would've helped reduce them and is something I will most likely look to purchase to keep in my go-bag just in case I run into this sort of situation again.

Fans lining up to take a photo inside of the Commanders locker room.

Once I made my way out of the locker room and entered the tunnel that leads out to the field, I was greeted by a large inflatable Commanders helmet that had dozens of fans lining up to do their own tour of the locker room.

On-Field Activities

On the field, there was no shortage of activities that fans could participate in including:

  • Photo booths
  • Football throwing drills
  • Bag drills
  • Cornhole
  • Balloon Artists
Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves shaking hands with a staff member during pre-draft events at Northwest Stadium in Landover, MD.

Main Stage

On the main stage, GeNinenne Samuels mc'd the party while, the Washington Commanders Marching Band and DJ Kool Herc kept fans entertained. Commanders running back Bill Croskey-Merrit and offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. also made an appearance and spoke with the Command Center crew.

The crowd of fans that filled the field from endzone to endzone

Command Force, the entertainment team of the Commanders also put on a show for fans while waiting for the Commanders to be on the clock.

On the Clock

With the 7th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Washington Commanders selected Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. As the selection was announced the main stage illuminated with fireworks and the excitement of the crowd almost felt like a Sunday kickoff.

While I'm happy with the photo above that ultimately served as the "featured" image of the night I was faced with a bit of a dilemma on where to position myself during this pivotal moment.

Early in the night, I was at the front of the crowd in the photo above, which (probably) would've given me some of the best fan reactions to the draft pick, but towards the end of one of the performances fireworks had gone off above the stage. This tipped me off that there would most likely be fireworks when the selection was made.

I repositioned myself to directly in front of the broadcast cameras that were positioned behind the crowd and with my Sony 16mm f1.8 lens, I waited for the selection to be announced.

While waiting, I ended up running into one of my guys Nick and he was feeling the same way about being unsure of where to be for the pick and ultimately ended up setting up next to me.


After the pick was announced I looked to get reactions of fans in my immediate radius. I wish I had gotten more photos of the immediate reactions, but sometimes thats the result of having to make tough decisions in the moment.

With the pick made, I took one more lap around the field and saw some members of Command Force still dancing with fans. The night was capped off with a performance by Maryland musician Luke Borchelt.

Fan Portraits

Thank you to everyone who allowed me to take their photo!

View of the field at Northwest Stadium as the night came to a close. 📷: Ricoh GR IV Monochrome

Closing Thoughts

This is the second draft party I've had the opportunity to cover and they've both been great events filled with excitement and optimistic energy for the new season to start.

It's always a privilege to be granted access and trusted to be in these spaces and I (try) to do my best to document the experience so that those who weren't in attendance can still feel what it was like to be there.

If you made it to the end of this post, thank you for spending time with me. If you liked what you saw and want to continue supporting me, consider following me on Instagram and giving this post a share. 🫶🏾