Unheralded free agent poised for 2025 squad among unselected draftees

The Washington Commanders made some questionable decisions in the 2025 NFL Draft, but they also nailed one perfect move. Despite their missteps, here's an undrafted free agent who's bound to make the Commanders' 2025 roster.

Firstly, let's acknowledge the elephant in the room – the Commanders should've drafted an edge rusher. They passed on Donovan Ezeiruaku, who's now with Dallas, and we'll see how that goes when the teams square off this season.

Moreover, they've failed to sign an edge rusher as an undrafted free agent. Needless to say, such a player would've had a decent chance of making the team. But since they missed that opportunity, let's focus on the current list of candidates.

Commanders sign 4 offensive players and 2 on defense

The Commanders have recruited quarterback Collin Schlee, wide receivers Ja'Corey Brooks and Jacoby Jones, offensive lineman Tim McKay, and safeties Robert McDaniel and Trey Rucker.

Head coach Dan Quinn will have his hands full on the defensive side of the ball. The Commanders still haven't addressed their areas of weakness adequately. But the player who shows the most promise of sticking as an undrafted free agent is Ja'Corey Brooks.

The 6-foot-2, 184-pounder garnered a rating of 5.69 from nfl.com. A product of Louisville, Brooks thrived on the passes of quarterback Tyler Shough, who got drafted in the second round by the New Orleans Saints.

Here are the deets on Brooks, according to nfl.com.

"Brooks had a career year at Louisville in 2024 after three seasons at Alabama," Lance Zierlein wrote. "He has good size and average speed. He’s a decent athlete with the length and ball skills to have success downfield. He’s not going to outrun many NFL corners on a sprint, and he’s too tight-hipped to uncover with his route-running, which is one reason for so many contested catches. The touchdown production and yards per catch are favorable, but Brooks might have to fight for a back-end spot on a roster."

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But there's a silver lining to those contested catches. Brooks tends to win most of those battles, according to commanderswire.com.

"Ja'Corey excels as a contested catcher and was a pain in the ass for defensive backs with the ball in the air in 2024 with a 69.6% contested catch rate," Josh Taylor wrote. "Even though he only ran a 4.65 40-yard dash, Brooks is a legitimate deep threat on the field due to his ability to swipe press coverage. He knows how to stack corners and get separation late in routes with the ball coming his way. He also has a great catch radius to use his body control and pluck the ball out of the air."

Washington's receiver room looks stronger in 2025 than it did last year. Terry McLaurin remains the top dog with Deebo Samuel in the No. 2 spot. Noan Brown, Michael Gallup, Luke McCaffrey, and rookie Jaylin Lane are also in the mix. K.J. Osborn may also factor in.

After McLaurin and Samuel, there's a lack of big guns. So Brooks could carve out a niche.

However, he didn't get a great review from nytimes.com.

"A tall, lean target, Brooks gobbles up ground quickly to swipe press, stack corners, and use vertical pacing to track the ball and create late separation," Dane Brugler wrote. "He does a nice job battling for jump-ball positioning, but also fights the ball at times. He needs to improve his finishing focus to earn the admiration of his coaches at the next level. Overall, Brooks’ lack of short-area agility and pacing allows man coverage to stick to him on short and intermediate routes, but his play strength, tracking skills, and catch radius could make him a potential WR4/5."

And that seems quite reasonable for Brooks. He's unlikely to become a starter, but he could be good enough to give Gallup and McCaffrey a run for their money. He may only need to beat out McCaffrey to claim a roster spot.

McCaffrey's first NFL season was utterly forgettable, amassing only 18 catches for 168 yards and no touchdowns. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Commanders part ways with the third-round pick if Brooks outshines him on the depth chart. They have similar size, and Brooks possesses the deep ability McCaffrey lacks.

The Washington Commanders' 2025 NFL Draft had a questionable edge rusher pick with Donovan Ezeiruaku going unselected, a decision that could be revisited when they face Dallas in the upcoming season.
Ja'Corey Brooks, an undrafted free agent signed by the Commanders, could potentially make the 2025 roster despite the draft missteps.
After a career year at Louisville in 2024, Ja'Corey Brooks caught the attention of nfl.com with a rating of 5.69, a sign of his potential to make the team.
Commanders' wide receiver corps for 2025 seems to be strengthening, with Ja'Corey Brooks being one of the candidates who could carve out a niche, especially given the lack of big guns after Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel.
Despite his promising skills, Ja'Corey Brooks is not expected to be a starter but could compete closely with Michael Gallup and Luke McCaffrey for a roster spot, potentially even surpassing McCaffrey, given the latter's forgettable 2024 NFL debut.