\nRanking Commanders\u2019 undrafted free agents: Can a former 5-star recruit crack the 53?<\/a><\/p>\n
Any undrafted free agent faces steep odds of making the Week 1 roster. Wide receiver Cam Sims and cornerback Danny Johnson turned their long-shot dreams into several seasons in the NFL. Impressive summers for two active players, tight end Colson Yankoff and safety Tyler Owens, paid off last year.<\/p>\n
With The Athletic insider Dane Brugler\u2019s exhaustive draft guide<\/a>, here\u2019s a look at this year\u2019s hopefuls in ranking order and possible fits with Washington. Guaranteed money figures were included when possible.<\/p>\n This group does not include rookie camp invitees,<\/p>\n 1. Ja\u2019Corey Brooks, WR, Louisville<\/p>\n Brugler\u2019s ranking: WR36<\/p>\n Details: He\u2019s 6 foot 2, 188 pounds with a 4.65 40 time. He turns 24 in October. Brooks was a first-team All-ACC selection last season with 61 receptions for 1,013 yards and nine touchdowns. He played primarily on the outside with some work from the slot.<\/p>\n The five-star recruit had one blocked punt in all three seasons with Alabama, but thoughts of a breakout junior year were dashed after suffering a labrum tear. Brooks has experience returning kicks and punts and was one of two players listed here to receive a detailed write-up in Brugler\u2019s draft preview.<\/p>\n \u201cA tall, lean target, Brooks eats up ground quickly to beat press, stack corners and use vertical pacing to track the ball and create late separation,\u201d Brugler wrote. \u201cHe does a nice job battling for jump-ball positioning but also fights the ball at times \u2014 he needs to improve his finishing focus to earn the trust of his coaches at the next level. Overall, Brooks\u2019 lack of short-area agility and pacing allows man coverage to stay attached to him on short and intermediate routes, but his play strength, tracking skills and catch radius could make him a potential WR4\/5.\u201d<\/p>\n Potential fit: Washington has five receivers seemingly on roster lock, including fourth-round speedster Jaylin Lane, plus veterans Michael Gallup and K.J. Osborn. Special teams work is Brooks\u2019 best path to sneaking onto the Week 1 roster, but the size, raw talent and vertical playmaking will make him a fun summer watch regardless. Having offensive assistant David Blough on the staff perhaps helps ease Brooks\u2019 transition.<\/p>\n 2. Car\u2019lin Vigers, DB, Louisiana Monroe<\/p>\n Brugler\u2019s ranking: CB61<\/p>\n Details: Vigers is 6 foot 1, 205 pounds and runs a 4.52 40. His press corner ability meshes with the Commanders\u2019 style. Vigers, who returned his lone 2024 interception for a touchdown, received $259,000 guaranteed from Washington. He finished his three-year career with 131 tackles and two interceptions.<\/p>\n ESPN Taylor, a defensive back who played five seasons at Rice, went undrafted last month. The agency that represents him said Taylor picked Washington after receiving multiple offers because he grew up wanting to play for the team.<\/p>\n \u201cNow he has the chance to make his mark, forge his own path, compete for a roster spot and honor the memory of Sean,\u201d Creed Sports and Entertainment posted on social media. \u201cGabe couldn\u2019t be more excited, focused, and ready for the opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Riggo\u2019s Rag Picking wide receiver Jaylin Lane at No. 128 was met with widespread approval among the fanbase. Respected analysts around the media think the Commanders have a potential steal on their hands<\/a>, especially with an elite quarterback and play-caller steering him on the right path. This is something the explosive pass-catcher didn\u2019t have at Virginia Tech, which most acknowledge impacted his stock considerably.<\/p>\n Lane has a chance to stake an immediate claim on the rotation. Based on the impression left on Day 1 of Washington\u2019s rookie minicamp, he\u2019s off to a good start.<\/p>\n The player\u2019s route-running, bend, and sharpness out of his cuts caught the eye according to those in attendance. Lane made some impressive catches and looked like he belonged. There is a long way to go and a lot of hard work ahead, but players only get one chance to make a positive first impression.<\/p>\n Washington has a decent-looking wideout room heading into the season. Terry McLaurin is the alpha and should get a lucrative contract extension<\/a> ahead of time this offseason. The Commanders traded for All-Pro Deebo Samuel Sr. They re-signed Noah Brown and K.J. Osborn. Hopes are also high that Michael Gallup can pick things up quickly after ending his brief retirement<\/a>, and Luke McCaffrey can enhance his influence in Year 2 of his professional career.<\/p>\n Even so, the Commanders will give Lane every chance to generate his fair share of targets right out of the gate.<\/p>\n Commanders Wire Holt sat down on Friday and chatted with Craig Hoffman of Team 980. Holt says they were discussing how many different ways we can get the ball in his hands soon in Blacksburg. Might the Commanders\u2019 coaching staff already be thinking in a similar fashion?<\/p>\n \u201cOnce he got rolling catching punts, I mean that was it, he was playing extremely well,\u201d continued Holt. \u201cI don\u2019t know that I\u2019ve ever been around a guy that has the guts he has fielding the football. He truly believes every chance he gets with the ball in his hands, on punt return, he is going to score. And he does have a great chance to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoffman inquired when Holt realized that Lane was not only a superb athlete but also special in terms of competitiveness. Holt responded, \u201cYou know, his father is a very strong high school coach. He\u2019s won a ton of games. That is what Jaylin has been raised around. He was raised right. Mom and dad are tremendous people. He knew from an early age, \u2018I got to go get it. I gotta go earn it. He is a mature guy and really squared away, off of the field.\u201d<\/p>\n Hogs Haven McKay was very solid in his 5-year career in Raleigh, only giving up 10 sacks in his time there. He had a sack-free 2023, in which he played 489 pass blocking snaps. In 2024, he only allowed 18 pressures and two sacks playing right guard. He had a 70.5 overall PFF rating, grading slightly better as a pass protector (73.1) than a run blocker (69.8).<\/p>\n In the lead up to his senior season, Ryan Fowler of the Draft Network offered the following assessment: \u201cTimothy McKay is a well-framed offensive lineman who, despite his athletic limitations, can counter varying skill sets at multiple positions along an offensive line. He has live snaps along the front five at every spot but center in his career at NC State.<\/p>\n Concerns remain about his ability against more athletic and nuanced defenders. McKay can quickly run into trouble against even the most adequate of opposing talent if he isn\u2019t able to establish leverage early. McKay operates with mostly a solid base and has displayed good footwork, but he can be overzealous at times leading to undisciplined striking and inconsistent mechanics.<\/p>\n Overall, McKay\u2019s versatility remains an intriguing trait, and he should be a player to keep an eye on in the latter portions of the draft for teams in need of positional flexibility along an offensive line.\u201d<\/p>\n Podcasts & videos ESPN\u2019s Tom Luginbill on Commanders 2025 Draft Class, NFC East & Retired Numbers | Get Loud | NFL<\/p>\n Photos<\/p>\n PHOTOS | Commanders hit the gym for offseason workouts<\/a><\/p>\n Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders in the weight room during the offseason workout program.<\/p>\n NFC East links While most number selections are superfluous, Carter\u2019s situation has ballooned into an outsized situation in New York. The No. 3 overall pick<\/a> was denied Lawrence Taylor\u2019s No. 56, and Phil Simms\u2019 family rejected letting the rookie wear No. 11.<\/p>\n With the two retired numbers remaining out of circulation, Carter went with an idea that others, like *Good Morning Football*\u2019s Kyle Brandt<\/a>, suggested: a mashup of 56 and 11.<\/p>\n Several famous linebackers have donned No. 51, including Dick Butkus, Bryan Cox, Sam Mills, Takeo Spikes, etc.<\/p>\n “Their division is obviously extremely difficult because they don’t get to play themselves” Poor New York Giants https:\/\/t.co\/xfV9Sl3shr<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) May 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n NFL league links The NFL\u2019s delicate balance of striking new media-rights deals while keeping its incumbents happy is taking another big step. <\/p>\n The league is closing in on an agreement to have the Google-owned YouTube, distributors of the residential version of NFL Sunday Ticket, carry the Sept. 5 game in Brazil involving the Chargers<\/a> as the home team. The deal, according to sources, will see the opening-week game from S\u00e3o Paulo include the Chiefs, the NFL\u2019s top viewership draw<\/a>, as the visiting team.<\/p>\n By placing the game for free on YouTube, which boasts more than 2.5 billion monthly active users around the world, the audience is likely to challenge\u2014if not surpass\u2014the league\u2019s streaming record<\/a> of an average of 24.3 million viewers in the U.S., set last year in the nightcap of a Christmas Day doubleheader on Netflix. Production details for the Brazil game, however, remain unknown, and like other streamers, YouTube does not have the in-house capabilities to produce an NFL broadcast.<\/p>\n The Brazil contest, shown last year on NBCUniversal\u2019s Peacock, is additionally a centerpiece of the NFL\u2019s expanding international strategy<\/a>. <\/p>\n While YouTube prepares for its third season of carrying out-of-market games, the move sees the NFL continue to grow its relationship with streamers\u2014in turn helping the league attract younger viewers.<\/p>\n Discussion topics If Texas\u2019 Arch Manning has a good year<\/a>, he\u2019ll instantly become the hottest name to watch. But LSU\u2019s Garrett Nussmeier has a lot of hype, as does Penn State\u2019s Drew Allar. South Carolina\u2019s LaNorris Sellers will be consistently mentioned throughout the summer, and UCLA\u2019s Nico Iamaleava could prove some doubters wrong with one strong season in Westwood.<\/p>\n That probably feels like a lot of names \u2014 especially since they all have a full season of college football ahead of them. We haven\u2019t even seen Manning play enough college ball to know what he is yet, and there\u2019s a chance he could return to school to chase more NIL money. Allar and Iamaleava have shown struggles against big-time programs in high-stakes games.<\/p>\n But while all of next year\u2019s quarterbacks might have question marks, there will be enough teams that need a signal-caller.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t let the Saints drafting Shough or the Browns drafting both Sanders and Dillon Gabriel distract you from the fact that these organizations have been wandering the quarterback desert for some time. They\u2019d probably like to see their rookies get meaningful regular-season snaps, as both teams figure to be bad enough to end up near the top of next season\u2019s draft order.<\/p>\n The Browns also have an extra first-round pick from the Jacksonville Jaguars because of the Travis Hunter trade during Round 1<\/a>, and there\u2019s no guarantee they\u2019ll be any good \u2014 even with the do-it-all Heisman winner on the roster. The Browns would have the ammo to trade up for the top quarterback in this class.<\/p>\n The Saints aren\u2019t going to win many games with Shough, Spencer Rattler and Taysom Hill.<\/p>\n Even with Aaron Rodgers potentially on the way<\/a>, the Pittsburgh Steelers will need to solve their quarterback of the future at some point, too.<\/p>\n Due to a draft-night trade of their own, the Los Angeles Rams acquired another first-round pick for next year as well.<\/p>\n All aTwitter<\/p>\n “I just love how they put their foot to the gas pedal and said we now recognize we have the most valuable thing in sports, a franchise-caliber, Super Bowl-caliber quarterback on a rookie contract. That is the most valuable thing in any sport.” https:\/\/t.co\/63Iv16Uakt<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) May 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Rick Snider\u2019s Washington says a poll supports new Washington Commanders stadium in D.C.. Gimme two minutes. pic.twitter.com\/Mwt7VrW3aD<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Rick Snider’s Washington (@Snide_Remarks) May 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Noah Brown #2 in pass interference yards drawn. Went on IR with a lacerated kidney after Week 13 last season. Re-signed for year 2 with Jayden Daniels. https:\/\/t.co\/TYUiBbFFik<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) May 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n I can safely say that all of the 49ers rookies’ first interviews went better than Shemar Stewart’s first interview with the Bengals https:\/\/t.co\/ig78xxGpfP<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) May 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n For those wondering, on today’s NFL personnel notice, there were 328 undrafted free agents signed and 132 draft choices.<\/p>\n \u2014 Howard Balzer (@HBalzer721) May 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n It’s interesting that Joe Schoen says to Brian Daboll “You guys are convicted in” Jaxson Dart. Not “we” or “us.”<\/p>\n As was suspected, sounds like a very coaching-staff-driven pick #Giants<\/a><\/p>\n “He checked all the boxes. Let’s roll the dice.” https:\/\/t.co\/skV7nVduv1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) May 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n
\nSean Taylor\u2019s younger brother Gabe tries out with Commanders<\/a><\/p>\n
\nJaylin Lane making tremendous early impression at Commanders\u2019 rookie minicamp<\/a><\/p>\n
\nVirginia Tech coach instantly recognized new Commanders\u2019 WR was special<\/a><\/p>\n
\nCould UDFA pick up Tim McKay be Washington\u2019s swing IOL of the future?<\/a><\/p>\n
\nCommanders Rookie Minicamp BREAKDOWN: What to Watch from Draft Picks | UDFA Gems, Intriguing Invites<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/jinpaszxvyvw1iihbzmq.jpg\"\/)
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\nNFL.com
\nGiants first-round pick Abdul Carter to wear No. 51 after jersey number drama<\/a><\/p>\n
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\nArch Manning and the 2026 NFL Draft QB Class Better Be Ready to Save the League<\/a><\/p>\n