Not content with trading for Deebo Samuel and getting a speedy playmaker from the slot in the 2025 NFL draft, the Washington Commanders also snagged a 1,000-yard pass-catcher in free agency.
Undrafted wideout Ja’Corey Brooks is set to join the Commanders, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, who reported the move on Monday, April 28. He also detailed how “The Alabama transfer had 61 catches for 1013 yards and 9 TDs last season.”
Louisville WR Ja’Corey Brooks is headed to the #Commanders as an undrafted free agent, source says. The Alabama transfer had 61 catches for 1013 yards and 9 TDs last season.
Brooks amassed those yards at Louisville last season, when he became a go-to target for drafted quarterback Tyler Shough. The production from combining with a second-round pick indicates Brooks has the pedigree to make a final NFL roster, even if he’s joined a crowded rotation with the Commanders.
What could give Brooks an edge is his talent as a niche receiver.
Ja’Corey Brooks Fills Need for Commanders Receiver Corps
Brooks can fill the Commanders’ need for a true vertical threat. It’s something they lost when Dyami Brown, last season’s playoff hero, cashed in and bolted to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency.
Brown’s straight-line speed helped him become the preferred deep threat for quarterback Jayden Daniels, but the second-year signal-caller needs a new receiver able to take the top off coverage.
Enter Brooks, who “Runs vertical stems with urgency and intent,” according to Bleacher Report’s Dame Parson. The latter also credited Brooks with “Good ball-tracking down the field and late hands as ball approaches.”
Brooks’ flair for stretching the field was personified by this catch and run for a touchdown against SMU, highlighted by Pete Nakos of On3Sports.
While 6-foot-2, 190-pound Brooks qualifies as a size and speed matchup, there are reasons he was overlooked during the draft. Reasons like a weakness “in terms of the efficiency of his route running and movement skills,” per Andrew Harbaugh of Bucs Wire.
There’s also an issue with ball security, described by The 33rd Team’s James Foster. He stated “Brooks’ tape is frustrating because his dominance at the catch point does not extend to open targets. He has one of the highest drop rates in the FBS, and some of his most impressive routes have been nullified due to poor focus.”
Any player who goes undrafted won’t be short of question marks, but there’s enough to like about Brooks’ game to believe he can impress for the Commanders. Especially when his playing profile is unique among the team’s receivers, while the Commanders have also been busy acquiring younger depth.
Commanders Adding Youth, Speed to WR Room
Brooks can carve himself a role as a backup for senior perimeter playmaker Terry McLaurin, but he’s not the only young, speedy receiver set to boost the position for the Commanders.
There’s also a Day 3 pick who can expand the playbook. He’ll join Brooks and last season’s third-rounder Luke McCaffrey to form a youthful trio of targets who could grow with Daniels.
The Commanders still have veteran options, like former Dallas Cowboys duo Noah Brown and Michael Gallup. Yet, it’s the newer pass-catchers, particularly those taken during and after this year’s draft, who can do the most to add even more big plays to an already explosive offense.
