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Who is Commanders' undrafted rookie Jaden Bradley?
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- Who is Commanders' undrafted rookie Jaden Bradley?
Who is Jaden Bradley?
The Washington Commanders' training camp has opened for their rookies. Therefore, there are names in which the DMV and Commanders fan base are unfamiliar. One of those is Jaden Bradley. Naturally, the vast majority of the fan base is entirely unaware of Bradley. So let's take a quick look.
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One of the reasons we don't know of Bradley is that he didn't play at Ohio State, Alabama, or Oregon. Instead, Bradley finished playing his college football at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV). The Runnin' Rebels are better known for their very successful basketball teams, not their football program. What's more, Bradley didn't build up a reputation playing at only one school. He moved around, playing at Pittsburgh before moving on to Charlotte and finally UNLV.
But let's back up a bit. Bradley played receiver at UNLV. The Commanders signed Bradley following the draft as an undrafted free agent. Bradley does possess size that attracts the interest of scouts. He stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 195 pounds.
If Bradley wants to make the Commanders, he will need to display good hands and good route running. But more than that, when it comes down to those last few players making a 53-man roster, players need to be able to perform on special teams units.
During his final year, Bradley started all 14 games for UNLV, finishing the season with 58 catches for 931 yards and four touchdowns. Speaking of special teams, Bradley returned five kickoffs for 106 yards, averaging 21.2 yards per return. Perhaps more importantly, while playing special teams, Bradley blocked one punt and returned another blocked punt for a 13-yard touchdown.
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Bradley did show he can catch the ball often and for good yardage, posting back-to-back 100-yard receiving games to start the season vs. Idaho State (Aug. 23) and at Sam Houston (Aug. 29). All told, for that final college season, Bradley averaged 76.1 all-purpose yards per game, while also averaging 16.1 yards per catch.
Bradley begins competing for a spot this week. It won't be easy, because typically NFL teams keep six or seven receivers.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Who is Commanders' undrafted rookie Jaden Bradley?
