Commanders' rookie earning major praise from top NFL analyst

After the free agency frenzy and chaos of the NFL Draft died down, many NFL teams continued to add players to their rosters. The Washington Commanders signed nine undrafted rookie free agents after the draft was done, and a handful of them have made a legitimate case to remain on the final 53-man roster when the time comes.

One player attempting to make a case for himself is wide receiver Jaden Bradley. NFL Insider and analyst Brian Baldinger breaks down one of Bradley’s receptions in the Commanders’ loss to the Detroit Lions on Saturday.

.@Commanders@Lions UDFA Jaden Bradley with the best catch of week 2 in preseason. Great way to get noticed pic.twitter.com/sNxIVH0r2A

“Trying to make a football team as an undrafted free agent like Jaden Bradley right here, from the slot,” Baldiner begins. “Spray fade right here, all right? And you come down with this kind of a catch right in front of the bench, in front of Dan Quinn, in front of Jayden Daniels, like guys jumping up and down, celebrating the catch right there. That’s cool. Antonio Williams, the rookie wide receiver, joining him.

“And watch this throw right here. Jaden Bradley is from DeMatha High School; he’s a local product. Good blitz pickup here, by the way. Kaliakmanis lets it fly, and watch this catch; this is the best catch I’ve seen in the second week of preseason so far. That’s how you get people’s attention. That’s how you make the team. That’s how you get noticed as an undrafted free agent. Look at Terry McLaurin right here, coming down to celebrate with the rookie free agent. That’s cool. I like that.”

Bradley caught two passes for 42 yards against the Lions, an average of 21 yards per reception. One thing Baldinger didn’t mention in his analysis is that, on top of it being an excellent catch, Bradley was also being held by the defender. If you watch the second showing of the play, you can see Bradley’s left arm being held back by his opponent. And he still made the catch.

The Commanders’ wide receiver room is pretty packed. There are only a couple of players who are locks to make the final roster, and the last couple of spots are up for grabs. If Bradley continues to perform at this level during the week and in the final preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, his chances increase. Even if he doesn’t make the Commanders’ final roster, Bradley could very easily find himself on another team before the regular season begins. He was impressive during OTAs, the minicamp, and throughout training camp. He’s worked after practice frequently with McLaurin.

In Washington’s first preseason game, Bradley almost blocked multiple punts, showing he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make the roster.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' rookie earning major praise from top NFL analyst