Chris Rodriguez Jr. - Commanders RB
- Round No. 6 | Pick No. 193
Like Andre Jones Jr, Chris Rodriguez Jr.'s journey with the Washington Commanders has been full of ups and downs so far. But he's still around, which is the main thing for any fledgling roster hopeful.
The former sixth-round selection didn't do enough to make the roster last season. Washington signed Jeremy McNichols and Austin Ekeler to go alongside Brian Robinson Jr. This left Rodriguez on the fringes, but the Commanders kept him around on the practice squad to continue his development.
Injuries brought Rodriguez into the spotlight a little more. There was also a lot to like about his production when called upon.
His powerful running, improved contact balance, and urgent explosiveness caught the eye. Fans wanted to see more from the Kentucky product, especially considering Robinson and Ekeler were struggling to gain momentum over the second half of 2024.
Something prevented the Commanders from getting Rodriguez involved during the postseason. Although the trust wasn't there just yet, general manager Adam Peters didn't want to see him depart in free agency.
- Draft grade: B
The Commanders placed an exclusive rights tender on Rodriguez to prevent him from speaking to other teams. He's getting another shot to make the squad, although that will be more difficult if Washington spends one of its early selections on a dynamic weapon from the college ranks this year.
K.J. Henry - Former Commanders DL
- Round No. 5 | Pick No. 137
Hopes were high surrounding K.J. Henry entering the 2024 campaign. The defensive end flashed immense promise as a rookie. Fans were hoping his skills would enhance enough to become a valuable rotational piece at the very least.
Henry held the same ambitions. The former Clemson star wanted to make a bigger impact on this exciting project. There were some promising signs over early workouts, but it wasn't enough when push came to shove.
The Commanders waived Henry after just one season with the squad. He was scooped up by the Cincinnati Bengals, but coming into the organization late with no real time to get up to speed meant he was always fighting a losing battle.
Cincinnati parted ways with Henry, who signed for the Dallas Cowboys soon after. After featuring twice and gaining one sack, the Philadelphia Eagles signed him to a reserve/futures contract. That makes it three NFC East teams in just two seasons for the 2023 fifth-round pick.
- Draft Grade: C-
If Henry's early development had been managed better by the previous regime, things might have been different. Once a new staff came in with a fresh set of ideas, it was always going to be challenging to firmly establish himself.