Commanders invite super-athletic offensive lineman to rookie minicamp

Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters is not done trying to improve his roster ahead of the 2026 NFL season. While the 2026 NFL Draft is over, free agency has slowed to a crawl, and the Commanders will host their rookie minicamp this weekend. While Washington's six draft picks will be on the field in the NFL for the first time, so will its undrafted free-agent class.

However, this weekend also represents an opportunity for other undrafted players invited to the rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. You can add another name to that list: Southern Illinois offensive lineman Noah Fenske.

The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Fenske began his college career at Iowa, where he stayed for two seasons. A three-star recruit from New Hampton, Iowa, Fenske redshirted during his freshman season and appeared in one game during his redshirt freshman year in 2020. In 2021, Fenske transferred to Colorado, where he appeared in three games, including his first college start at center against Minnesota. He appeared in seven games for the Buffaloes in 2022.

In 2023, Fenske again entered the NCAA transfer portal but sat out per NCAA transfer rules before transferring to Southern Illinois. In 2024, Fenske started 11 games at left tackle for the Salukis. Last season, he played center for Southern Illinois, earning second-team All-MVC honors.

While Fenske is a long shot to make Washington's roster, his size, experience, and athleticism could make him an intriguing developmental project for new offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton. Peters is a big believer in the Relative Athletic Score metric. Check out Fenske's RAS.

Washington's rookie minicamp kicks off Friday in Ashburn.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders invite athletic OL to rookie minicamp