Every NFL season, there are a handful of undrafted free agents who defy the odds and carve out a spot on a 53-man roster. This year, the Washington Commanders may have found one of those diamonds in the rough in defensive tackle Jeffrey M'ba.

At 6-foot-5 and 316 pounds, M'ba has the kind of size that typically gets scouts excited. His journey to the NFL, however, has been anything but conventional. Born in Gabon and raised in France, he didn't start playing football until moving to the United States for his senior year at Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore. From there, it was a winding road through Independence Community College, Auburn, Purdue, and finally SMU, where he put together an impressive final season with 42 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks.

So why did a player with M'ba's measurables and production go undrafted? The answer is simple: age. At 27 years old, he'll be one of the older rookies in the league. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein noted in his pre-draft evaluation that M'ba's age will be a sticking point for some teams, but others will see him as a "development prospect with intriguing power." Zierlein added that M'ba "does an admirable job of competing against blockers using brute force and determination" and has "lane-clogging potential as a rotational nose tackle if he improves his technique."

Despite the late start to his football career, M'ba has shown remarkable growth. He's still raw, but his combination of size, power, and relentless motor makes him a player worth watching this summer. The Commanders' defensive line already has some established names, but if M'ba can impress in training camp and preseason, he could force his way onto the roster as a rotational run-stuffer.

For a team looking to build depth and find value in undrafted free agents, M'ba represents exactly the kind of high-upside gamble that can pay off. Keep an eye on this one—he's got the tools and the story to make some noise in Washington.