The Washington Commanders have 1 of the worst running back rooms in the NFL, which means it’s open business if anyone wants to step up and take a spot.
According to Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport, that could be undrafted free agent Robert Henry Jr., whom he predicts could make the 53-man roster on the eve of training camp.
“The Washington Commanders have a backfield that is equal parts crowded and muddy,” Davenport wrote on July 23. “The team already had Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols, signed Rachaad White and Jerome Ford in free agency, drafted Penn State’s Kaytron Allen on Day 3 and topped things off by signing UTSA back Robert Henry as an undrafted free agent … the reality is that the preseason is going to feature a lot of Ford, Allen and Henry battling for one or two roster spots.”
Henry’s Offseason Created Major Roster Buzz
In June, CBS Sports NFL reporter Josh Edwards predicted Henry might make a roster play this fall.
“Washington’s backfield should be competitive as there is no clear feature back between Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, Kaytron Allen and Jerome Ford,” Edwards wrote. “Henry was given the team’s third-largest practical guarantee. Henry is a smaller back who builds speed quickly and contributes in the pass game.”
The Commanders haven’t had a player rush for over 900 yards in a single season since Antonio Gibson rushed for 1,042 yards in 2021, and haven’t had a player rush for over 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons since Alfred Morris did it from 2012 to 2014.
Davenport previously singled out Henry as the NFL’s “Most Exciting” undrafted free agent.
The Commanders’ leading rusher in 2025 was rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, a 7th-round pick who rushed for 805 yards and 8 touchdowns but also struggled with fumbles.
“Henry was a wildly productive player at UTSA last year — he topped 1,000 yards on the ground,” Davenport wrote. “He averaged almost seven yards per carry and scored 11 total touchdowns while peeling off five runs of 70 yards or more. However, he is also a 24-year-old rookie who is just 5’9″ and 196 pounds, which led to his going undrafted … The Washington running back room isn’t exactly loaded—the team’s lead back is a second-year pro who was a seventh-round pick last year. Henry has a realistic shot to earn a roster spot if he carries his college burst and elusiveness into camp.”
Henry Former JuCo National Player of the Year
Henry was a junior college star at Jones College, where he led the nation with 1,302 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in 2021 and was named NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year.
At UTSA, Henry led the Roadrunners with 11 touchdowns in a backup role in 2021, then led them in rushing each of the next 2 seasons. In 3 seasons, he scored 30 touchdowns and put up 2,747 yards of total offense.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein predicted Henry would be a 7th-round pick or priority free agent — the latter of which proved true.
“Fifth-year senior whose splashy early-season performance against Texas A&M put him on the map,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “Henry is a slasher with a wiggly lower half, allowing him to make sudden cuts and elude tacklers in tight quarters. He’s quicker than fast and struggles to consistently read/react to the development of run lanes. While his burst can create occasional chunk gains, he too often does not keep runs on their designed tracks. He’s yet to show he can be a major factor on third downs and fumbled six times in the last three seasons, which could be impediments in his pursuit of a roster spot.”
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