The Washington Commanders have been desperate for a young wide receiver to emerge as a more consistent contributor in their offense. This season, the Commanders have a few different candidates to be that on offense.
After Saturday, fans might need to consider undrafted rookie Jaden Bradley one of them.
Bradley caught two of his three targets in Week 2 of the preseason against the Detroit Lions. He finished second on the team with 42 receiving yards.
One of his catches went for a 30-yard gain.
After the game, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn addressed the impressive outing from Bradley.
“It was fun, there was a lot of energy. If you guys – I don’t know if you could see it on the sideline, there was a lot of people yelling ‘And one.’ So there was a foul, so it was nice to see a deep play like that,” Quinn told reporters after Saturday’s game. “As a receiver, you want your chances for the shot play. So yeah, the guys were excited for him on that one.”
In Week 1 of the preseason, Bradley had two catches for 21 yards. Still, Bradley earned Quinn’s attention long before Saturday.
“He has in terms of like a competitive nature, and that was from the beginning. He wanted to return kicks, he wanted to be back for punt, knowing that there was going to be a spot for special teams. So, I like the way he’s competing, and that’s what it’s called upon.
“Then to be rewarded with a big play like that, just competing, he stands for that. So he’s developing.”
Commanders WR Jaden Bradley Impresses During Preseason Outing
Bradley didn’t just provide a highlight-reel play and fill the stat sheet Saturday. From an analytics standpoint, the undrafted rookie has been Washington’s best preseason receiver.
In two exhibition games, Bradley has earned an 83.5 Pro Football Focus player grade. That’s the best on the team among any pass-catcher.
Bradley has received 30 snaps this preseason.
In 2025, Bradley played his fifth year of college at UNLV. In his second season with the school, he registered 58 catches and 931 receiving yards.
So, he’s no stranger to big plays. He averaged 16.1 yards per reception with four touchdowns.
Bradley also played at Pitt and Charlotte during his college career. He averaged 15.8 yards per catch in 48 collegiate games.
Last season, he returned five kickoffs and one punt, which he took back for a touchdown, as well.
Commanders WR Depth Entering Final Week of Preseason
The Commanders have 10 receivers on their roster with Bradley sitting at maybe the very bottom of that list. On the team’s unofficial depth chart, Washington has Bradley and Nick Nash listed as fourth-team wideouts.
But the Commanders only have a few receivers they probably really trust. Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs will enter the regular season as starters while third-round rookie Antonio Williams will have a role too.
Treylon Burks and Luke McCaffrey are other obvious choices for roster spots. But both aren’t reliable, especially coming off injury-plagued 2025 campaigns.
Bradley could push for one of the final roster spots if he continues to improve over the final week of the preseason. He’s also a candidate for the team to stash on their practice squad.
The Commanders will enter the final week of the preseason with Jaylin Lane, Jacoby Jones, Dyami Brown and Van Jefferson also on the roster at receiver.
Commanders’ Dan Quinn Speaks out on Undrafted Rookie Playmaker