The Washington Commanders are on a mission to get “younger and faster” this offseason. After a month of free agency, Washington general manager Adam Peters has done a good job of getting his general staff younger and faster — especially on defense.
Now, Washington’s attention turns to the 2026 NFL Draft, where it owns the seventh overall pick.
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So while Peters does traditional scouting for free agency and the NFL Draft, he also spends time evaluating international prospects through the NFL’s International Player Articulation Program. Washington has previously signed multiple players from the program, currently including defensive end TJ Maguranyanga on the roster. Maguranyanga is 6-foot-4, 222 pounds and is from Zimbabwe. He originally signed with the Commanders in December 2024 and spent most of his time on the practice squad. However, he did play in one game last season and recorded one tackle.
Peters may have another international player on his radar.
According to NFL draft analyst Ryan Fowler, Washington is one of the few teams that has “expressed legitimate interest” in hosting a visit from Nigerian defensive tackle Ur Bernard.
Bernard is a 6-foot-4.5, 306-pound defensive tackle prospect who recently wowed NFL teams at the NFL International Tunnel Pro Day. Bernard ran the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds, had a 39-inch vertical jump, broad jumped 10 feet, 10 inches, and benched 31 reps. Additionally, Bernard’s hands are 11 inches long and his broad jump is at least 10 inches faster than other draft-eligible defensive tackles. As a reminder, he weighs 306 pounds and has only 6% body fat.
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Bernard is also only 21 years old.
Like any international player, Bernard had little football experience. Everything is a projection. But NFL teams love these types of athletes. Bernard had never played a sport before he started playing basketball at age 16. He attended several rugby training camps in Africa before joining the NFL’s international program.
Now, Bernard hopes to hear his name called in this month’s 2026 NFL Draft. Some team will certainly take a player with Bernard’s measurable standards in the Day 3 draft, hoping and believing it can translate that talent into a legitimate NFL player.
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Additionally, Bernard has produced at an elite level in the relative athletic scoring metric, something Washington State general manager Adam Peters is a big fan of.
Could the Commanders use one of their four third-day picks to bring Bernard to Washington?
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington commander interested in international DT Uar Bernard
