The Washington Commanders immediately began working after the 2024 NFL draft, signing undrafted free agents. By the end of Saturday, they had agreed to terms with at least 10 undrafted free agents.
One of those free agents is Colorado State cornerback Chigozie Anusiem. Who is Anusiem?
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Anusiem began his career at Cal-Berkeley, where he appeared in 25 games with six starts. He graduated and transferred to Colorado State ahead of the 2022 season.
In two years with the Rams, Anusiem became a full-time starter, playing in 23 games and recording 93 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and one interception.
Washington wasn’t the only team that tried to sign Anusiem, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, who indicated that “half the league wanted Anusiem,” but the Commanders “paid up to lock him in.”
The #Commanders gave former Colorado State CB Chig Anusiem a whopping $50,000 signing bonus and a $300K base salary guarantee, per source. Half the league wanted Anusiem after he went undrafted, and Washington paid up to lock him in.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 28, 2024
Why would so many teams want Anusiem without one drafting him in the final round? Only the NFL teams can answer that question, but a quick look at Anusiem’s measurables shows they are elite.
Here is Anusiem’s Relative Athletic Score:
Chigozie Anusiem is a CB prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 8.88 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 278 out of 2473 CB from 1987 to 2024. https://t.co/fLTVGFXdVH pic.twitter.com/TNyrAudXYg
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 23, 2024
Anusiem ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds, has excellent size and long arms, and is excellent in press coverage. One area that hurts Anusiem a bit is the lack of interceptions. In five seasons of playing, he has only one interception.
The Commanders will play a lot of press coverage, which would explain their appeal to Anusiem. Head coach Dan Quinn has helped develop several young cornerbacks with similar skills, which makes signing Anusiem a smart move.
Washington drafted only one cornerback — Michigan’s Mike Sainristil in the second round. Sainristil will play slot cornerback, and questions remain on the outside with Emmanuel Forbes and Benjamin St-Juste.