With the 2024 NFL Draft in the books, all eyes turn to Ashburn for rookie minicamp.
The Washington Commanders arrived to the month of May with nine new draft selections and 11 undrafted free agent signings, all of whom will take the field in the burgundy and gold for the first time this week. The Draft saw Washington welcome their franchise quarterback to the building with the number 2 overall pick, stock their defensive line with a standout defensive lineman in the second round, and add depth at various positions across the board by the time draft weekend was over.
While UDFA signings usually go under the radar, Washington locked up several high-upside players who will work to earn a spot in training camp and eventually compete for roster spots over the coming months ahead. Let’s dive into one of the 11 undrafted rookies looking to stand out for Washington and fill some depth at a much-needed spot, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint.
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint – WR, University of Georgia.
With the departure of Curtis Samuels in free agency, the Commanders entered the draft with a need for talent and depth at the wide receiver position. Washington signed free agent veteran Olamide Zaccheaus, resigned special teams standout and 9-year veteran Jamison Crowder, and selected wideout from Rice Luke McCaffery with the 100th overall pick, all of which is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. But one can never truly have enough weapons for a first-year QB, can you?
At 6’2, 195lbs, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint brings a unique set of skills that should make him a fun player to watch as the summer progresses. The former Georgia Bulldog Captain saw playing time in each of his four seasons, including play time in two national title games. His senior year saw his most productive numbers, finishing with four touchdowns, 535 yards on 35 catches, and zero drops over the course of 13 games this past season. However, one of Rosemy-Jacksaint’s best traits won’t typically appear on the stat sheet, and that is his prolific ability to block on the outside and create spaces for his teammates to make plays, which he says is a focus point in his game.
“That’s something that’s a big emphasis in this offense,” Rosemy-Jacksaint told reporters in 2022. “We have a lot of players that commit plays on the perimeter, so perimeter blocking is necessary in our offensive, and it’s necessary in football. So, I take pride in that, blocking the perimeter and being able to spring guys like the running backs open on big plays, so that receivers that block downfield, it’s a great recipe to make a big play down the field. That’s one of the areas that I put a lot of emphasis on.”
Despite Rosemy-Jacksaint being one of the most sure-handed receivers on a dominant Georgia Bulldog team, a lack of explosive speed and a 4.8 40-yard dash time hurt his pre-draft stock, eventually leading to him going undrafted. But his stand-out contributions on offense and special teams in Georgia were enough for Washington to take a chance on him and will undoubtedly be something for the former Bulldog to lean into as training camp gets closer.
Commanders first-year GM Adam Peters spoke after the Draft to Bryan Colbert Jr. on the team website and spoke of the advice he would give incoming rookies, both drafted and undrafted.
“Come in, work hard, just doing your job, making sure you’re on the playbook,” Peters said. “Finding a veteran to take advice from. If you can find one vet here and say, “I like what he does,” or another vet here and say, “I like what he does,” and take all the good ideas and make them your own, find a great routine, know what you’re doing so when your numbers called you can execute. That goes for any rookie, any person in life, really, when your number is called be ready to execute and skies the limit.”
As it happens to be, one of Washington’s most beloved veterans belongs to the wide receiver room. As a former college special teams standout and once passed-over receiver taken in the 3rd round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Terry McLaurin could be the man for Rosemy-Jacksaint to lean on as the chase for a roster spot commences in the months ahead.
“I’m just ready,” he said at the NFL Combine a few months ago. “I’ve prepared for it, I’ve trained for it, and I’m ready to go out there and show what I can do.”