If defensive tackle Jeffrey M’ba can make the Washington Commanders 53-man roster this season after signing as an undrafted free agent, it could wind up being the kind of story people make movies about.
M’ba, 6-foot-5 and 316 pounds, grew up in Africa before moving to France and learning American football as a teenager. He came to the United States to play 1 season of high school football at national powerhouse St. Frances Academy in Baltimore before embarking on a college football journey that took him to 4 colleges in 6 years.
Did we mention he’s also 27 years old?
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox singled M’ba out as the undrafted free agent most likely to make Washington’s 53-man roster.
“The Washington Commanders are looking to overhaul a defense that ranked 32nd overall in 2025,” Knox wrote. “They added several defensive free agents before using two of their first three draft selections on Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles and Tennessee edge-defender Joshua Josephs. Undrafted free agent Jeffrey M’Ba can be part of the overhaul after signing as an UDFA. The 6’5″, 316-pound prospect, who played for Auburn, Purdue, and SMU, has the size and skills needed to crack the defensive-line rotation. The Commanders didn’t draft an interior defender. They may eventually lose standout Daron Payne, who is entering a contract year.”
Journeyman College Career Ended at SMU
M’ba was originally committed to play for Virginia, but wound up at Independence (Kansas) Community College for 2 seasons before 1 year at Auburn, 2 years at Purdue, and a final season at SMU in 2025.
With the Mustangs, M’ba finally put it all together with career highs of 42 tackles, 5.0 sacks, and 7.5 TFL in his final college season
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein accurately predicted M’ba’s age would scare off teams from drafting him.
“M’ba’s evaluation will hit a wall with some teams due to his age (will be a 27-year-old rookie), but he’ll be seen as a development prospect with intriguing power by others,” Zierlein wrote. “Tight hips and a lack of take-on technique create inconsistencies with contact balance and anchor. M’ba does an admirable job of competing against blockers using brute force and determination. There will be lane-clogging potential as a rotational nose tackle if he improves his technique.”
Another knock on M’ba was that after being the No. 1 juco recruit in the nation, it took him several seasons to adjust to high-level competition.
“NFL teams believed that Mba had top 50 prospect potential coming out of JUCO,” NFL draft analyst John Vogel wrote on his official X account. “Originally from Fougere, France. Good wrap-up tackler on the interior. Gets off of blocks fairly well to make run stops. Good upper body strength.”
One good thing that M’Ba has going for him with the Commanders is that they are coming off a season in which the defensive tackles they do have were all non-factors despite making enormous sums of money — Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw were both equally useless. Kinlaw was especially appalling, with zero sacks after signing a 3-year, $45 million free-agent contract in March 2025.
Commanders’ 27-Year-Old UDFA Rookie Predicted to Make 53-Man Roster