Getty Colorado State cornerback Chigozie Anusiem.
Once a player gets over the shock and disappointment of not being taken in the NFL draft, they usually find there are options available to them.
Usually, that means signing with one of the 32 NFL teams as an undrafted free agent. It’s not an easy way to do it, but it’s still a path to making a roster and your dreams coming true. First, though, you have to make the team.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine singled out Washington Commanders rookie cornerback Chigozie Anusiem as the one undrafted player he thinks could crack the 53-man roster to start the season.
The Commanders showed how much they believe in Anusiem when they gave the former Colorado State star a three-year, $2.8 million contract with $350,000 guaranteed money — the biggest contract signed by any UDFA in 2024 .
“It’s not hard to see why Anusiem was worth the investment for Washington,” Ballentine wrote. “He has a great build for the position (6’1″, 200 pounds) and is a physical presence with the long speed to contribute on special teams. Add in the fact that the Commanders cornerback room still has questionable depth, and Anusiem has a good shot at making the roster.”
Anusiem Blossomed After Transfer to Colorado State
Anusiem only started six games over four seasons at Cal from 2018 to 2021 before he transferred to Colorado State, where he played the last two seasons.
With the Rams, Anusiem blossomed into a two-time All-Mountain West Conference pick and only missed one game in two years. One of the big knocks on Anusiem was that he only had one interception in six college seasons.
NFL DRAFT GEM OF THE DAY: Colorado State CB Chigozie Anusiem 🐏
• 6’1 200
• 4.39 40, 38” vert
• best-in-class tackler at CB
• route recognition
• closing speed
• press coverage tools
• good length
• major special teams upside
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein had Anusiem projected as a sixth-round pick in his pre-draft evaluation but also put an interesting thought into the mix — a possible position switch.
“Anusiem is a big, strong outside cornerback whose lack of ball production could cancel out his favorable size,” Zierlein wrote. “He doesn’t have ideal top-end speed or closing burst, but he’s a decent athlete in space. He’s more interested in covering than finding the football and taking it away, and that is unlikely to change in the NFL. He might not have the necessary speed to stick at cornerback, but his tackling success and size give him a chance to try his hand at safety.”
Commanders Desperate for Help in Secondary
The Commanders were the NFL’s worst secondary in 2023 as they gave up most passing yards (4,627) and passing touchdowns (39) in the NFL and opposing quarterbacks completed almost 70 percent of their passes.
Even worse for the Commanders was they did all of that after drafting a cornerback in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, taking Mississippi State’s Emmanuel Forbes with the No. 16 overall pick and watching him implode during the regular season.
In past years, growing pains might be an easy thing to blame but that argument’s gone out the window over the last two seasons. All five of the first team NFL All-Pro spots at cornerback in 2022 and 2023 were either rookies or second-year players with Sauce Gardner (twice), Trent McDuffie, Patrick Surtain II and DaRon Bland.
While Anusiem might be part of the solution, he’s not the only one the Commanders are bringing in to help turn things around. They also drafted All-American Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil in the second round of the 2024 draft.
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Undrafted Cornerback Could Make 53-Man Roster for Commanders