The Washington Commanders may have revamped their defensive starting unit over the offseason — that doesn’t mean they have much depth.
Part of creating that depth and making sure they have an elite special teams unit will be getting viable production from players already on the roster, and they took a key step in that direction with the return of 2nd-year linebacker Kain Medrano.
“LB Kain Medrano has passed his physical and been removed from the physically unable to perform list,” the Commanders wrote on their official X account on Monday.
“Washington has removed LB Kain Medrano from the PUP list after he passed his physical,” ESPN’s John Keim wrote on X on Monday.
Medrano, 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, only played 9 games in his rookie season — exclusively on special teams — with 5 tackles and 1 fumble recovery.
Kain Medrano Called ‘Rookie to Watch’ in 2025
Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus singled Medrano out as his “Rookie to Watch” on Washington’s roster in 2025.
“Medrano is built more like a strong safety than a true linebacker, but he tested out as an elite athlete with outstanding speed and explosiveness,” Cameron wrote. ” … Medrano can match up against tight ends in man coverage, which could be his ticket to sticking on the roster. But that also relies largely on his ability to make an impact on special teams.”
Medrano’s struggles as a tackler at UCLA — he missed 20.7 percent of tackle opportunities in 2024 — were largely negated by what an incredible athlete he is.
Over his last 2 seasons with the Bruins, Medrano started 25 consecutive games in 2023 and 2024 as he racked up 128 tackles, 18 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 6 pass deflections, 4 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions, including an interception return for a touchdown in 2024. He was named All-Pac-12 in 2023 and All-Big Ten in 2024.
At the NFL scouting combine, Medrano checked in at 6-foot-3 and 222 pounds while running a blazing, 4.46-second 40-yard dash, registering a 38-inch vertical leap and a broad jump of 10 feet, 5 inches.
That’s ridiculously athletic — for any position on the football field.
NFL Teams Increasingly Value Game Experience
Medrano had the type of game experience NFL teams have come to crave. Over 6 seasons, he played in 50 games for UCLA.
Riggo’s Rag’s Dean Jones listed “explosiveness in pursuit” as Medrano’s NFL-ready trait headed into his rookie year.
“The Washington Commanders saw something in Kain Medrano that they believe can be molded into a decent performer over time,” Jones wrote in May 2025. “Taking a linebacker over an edge rusher at this stage was a contentious issue among the fanbase, so it’ll be interesting to see if the former UCLA standout can repay this faith.”
NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein predicted Medrano would be a 5th-round pick.
“Sixth-year senior and team captain with two years of starting experience. Medrano’s long, lean frame is more reminiscent of a strong safety than a linebacker,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “He plays with good decisiveness to fill up run fits ahead of blocks, but he gets pushed around when they find him. He has average pursuit speed but above-average man-cover talent underneath. His missed tackle total is problematic, so he will need to stand out on special teams and as a dime linebacker to offer value as an undersized OLB.”
Commanders Get Good Injury News on Talented Draft Pick