Meet the Washington Commanders’ 2022 undrafted free agent class

The NFL Draft might be over, but the Washington Commanders are still working to put the finishing touches on their roster for 2022.

While the draft itself offers the most promise in terms of finding immediate contributors, the undrafted market is a great outlet for teams to cultivate their rosters. Every year, the Commanders land a list of several players who were passed over by all 32 teams in the NFL’s annual seven-round showcase.

These players, most commonly referred to as undrafted free agents, are generally added via signing bonuses. The greater the bonus, the more highly the team thinks of the player and the greater chance they have of making the team.

Last year, the Commanders struck gold in the UDFA market in the form of Jaret Patterson, who shined during the preseason and served as the team’s third-string running back behind Antonio Gibson and JD McKissic.

Without further ado, let’s meet Washington’s 2022 class.

The Washington Commanders’ 2022 UDFA class 

Jequez Ezzard, WR, Sam Houston St.

Ezzard met with the Arizona Cardinals during the pre-draft process. The former Bearkat offers value as a return specialist and excels at making something out of nothing after the catch. Ezzard’s best collegiate season came in 2018 when he compiled 40 receptions for 1,064 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Cole Kelley, QB, Southeastern Louisiana

Shockingly enough, Washington added another QB to their arsenal after they landed Sam Howell in the fifth round on Saturday. The 6-foot-7 Kelley completed 73.55% of his passes for 60 total touchdowns last season. His rare size and dual threat ability make him one of the most fascinating UDFAs in this year’s class.

Ferrod Gardner, LB, Louisiana

Having already used their fourth-round round pick on Louisiana safety Percy Butler, Washington double-dipped in the Ragin’ Cajuns program. In 2021, Gardner ranked second on Louisiana with 67 tackles, to go with five tackles for loss, three pass breakups, 1.5 sacks, an interception and two quarterback hurries.

Tyrese Robinson, OL, Oklahoma

In today’s NFL, you can never have too much offensive line depth and Tyrese Robinson will look to compete for one of the backup jobs this offseason. The entire Oklahoma OL struggled without Creed Humphrey in 2021 and it didn’t help that Robinson played out of position at RT when he’s more comfortable at guard.

Drew White, LB, Notre Dame

A former three-start linebacker, White played just four games over his first two seasons for the Fighting Irish, but he burst onto the scene as a junior with 80 tackles, eight for loss, two sacks and an interception returned for a touchdown. White  graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, FL, which produced two of the game’s most recognized pass rushers, Joey and Nick Bosa.

Tre Walker, LB, Idaho

Notice a theme? After not drafting a linebacker, the Commanders added four in the undrafted free agent market. A three-time All-American who finished his career with 305 tackles, including 105 last season and138 in 2019, both of which led the Vandals, Walker might just be the most accomplished of the bunch.