Analyzing the polarizing opposites of Commanders UDFA and established WRs

Commanders have more physical options at WR in 2023

Mitchell Tinsley, who played his final college year at Penn State, is more of a proven commodity. He’s a slightly bigger player at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds with average speed. But he has been productive.

In 2021, at Western Kentucky, he had a monster season catching balls from Bailey Zappe. I saw him play a couple of times for the Nittany Lions, and two things stood out. Playing against high-level competition, he had a knack for getting open. And though he didn’t run away from anyone, Tinsley was very good with the ball in his hands.

The Washington Commanders had a receiver on the practice squad a few years back named Marken Michel who was also a solid receiver and a very good runner after the catch. I always wanted him to get a shot but he never did. Tinsley reminds me of Michel.

Then there are the flat-out tall receviers: Brycen Tremayne and Jalen Sample.

Sample is a bit of a string bean at 6-foot-4 - though he was listed on his college website as 6-foot-6 and 200 pounds. He played for Minnesota State, the school that produced Adam Thielen. A foot injury led to a disappointing senior campaign, and his numbers are not especially impressive.

Tremayne, who played four years at Stanford, has a similar physical profile to Sample. He is a tall receiver with a sturdier build, but nothing else about his physical profile jumps off the page.

His numbers at Stanford were mundane. Except for one. Though he caught just 75 balls in his college career, 11 of them resulted in touchdowns. The man has a knack for finding the end zone. And he may have another thing in his favor. The Commanders' new quarterbacks coach, Tavita Pritchard, was his offensive coordinator in college.

I have already predicted that Allen, the small, lightning-fast UDFA will take a roster spot and become the Commanders' primary returner in 2023. And I would certainly make Kemp and Brown favorites for the other two spots. But I also think that Tinsley and Tremayne have a puncher’s chance of sneaking in.

If either can stand out on special teams, he could challenge Kemp. And if either can stand out on offense, he might offer more than Brown has shown. Tinsley could become the kind of possession receiver that Washington doesn’t really have right now. And Tremayne could become the big red zone target that currently only resides in the tight end room.

Should be fun to watch the competition through camp.