T.j. Maguranyanga

Career StatsD+

Year	Team	GP	Sacks	Tkl	TFL
Career		1	—	1	—
2025		1	0.0	1	0

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

T.j. Maguranyanga's one-year, $0.9M deal earns an A CVI and represents exceptional value for a rotational defensive end in today's market. The contract perfectly aligns a rotational player's production tier with basement-level compensation — exactly the type of low-risk, high-upside signing that smart front offices target. At under $1 million annually, there's virtually zero downside while maintaining flexibility to either extend him if he develops or move on without any dead money consequences. The short-term structure is ideal for both sides, giving Maguranyanga a chance to prove he deserves a bigger role while the signing team gets cost-controlled depth at a premium position. This is textbook roster construction — finding productive players willing to bet on themselves at below-market rates, creating immediate salary cap savings that can be allocated elsewhere.

Performance Analysis

T.J. Maguranyanga is an undrafted rookie defensive end currently searching for a home as a free agent, having appeared in just one career NFL game — a resume that, at this stage, tells you almost everything you need to know about where he stands in the professional pecking order. That single appearance places him firmly in the earliest developmental tier of NFL longevity, where the line between "fringe roster candidate" and "camp body" is razor thin and unforgiving. His lone recorded tackle represents the full extent of his statistical footprint at the pro level, which makes any meaningful evaluation of his pass-rush repertoire, run-defense discipline, or scheme fit largely speculative at this point. What scouts will be watching is whether Maguranyanga can parlay whatever athleticism and motor earned him that one-game opportunity into a legitimate training camp invitation, where consistent reps against NFL-caliber linemen will be the true proving ground. At 23, he retains the raw developmental upside that keeps personnel departments interested in young edge players, but the clock is ticking on converting potential into opportunity. His current grade reflects the stark reality of minimal professional exposure rather than a definitive ceiling, and the most important number on his résumé moving forward will simply be games played. If Maguranyanga can find a roster spot and stay healthy through a full camp, that trajectory could shift quickly — but right now, everything remains an open question.

Current Sentiment

T.J. Maguranyanga's public profile is best described as quietly under-the-radar, reflected in a steady C+ sentiment grade that captures the narrow but genuine interest surrounding a 23-year-old developmental pass rusher still searching for his NFL footing. The primary driver of whatever buzz exists around him is not production but identity — a recent headline highlighting his history-making distinction among African players in the NFL has generated meaningful traction in niche football circles and international communities, giving him a human-interest narrative that mainstream coverage of a player at his level rarely produces. That narrative, however, runs directly into a D+ performance grade and a 2025 season that amounted to a single game with a single tackle, a statistical footprint so minimal it offers no evidence of rotation-level viability at the professional level. His signing to a reserve/futures contract with the Washington Commanders is the most substantive organizational signal available — it says one NFL front office believes there are raw tools worth developing, but the minimum-level nature of that deal makes clear he is depth-chart inventory rather than a featured piece of the defensive line plan. The broader mainstream football media has essentially looked past him, with coverage limited to transaction roundups and roster moves rather than any genuine analytical attention to his game. With the regular season still months away, Maguranyanga's narrative trajectory runs entirely through training camp and the preseason — if he flashes anything on the field, the history-making storyline is already in place to amplify it, but without that production, the C+ perception grade is a ceiling, not a floor.