Former Buffalo Bills second-round draft pick Boogie Basham is getting another shot at sticking in the NFL after agreeing to terms with the Washington Commanders on Tuesday.
The 6-foot-3, 274-pound edge rusher worked out for the Commanders on Monday and signed shortly after. For Bills fans, the move serves as a reminder of a high draft selection that never fully panned out in western New York.
“Commanders plan to sign free agent DL Boogie Basham, per source,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on X.
“Former second-round pick worked out for the team Monday. Was with Raiders practice squad last season.”
The Athletic’s Nick Jhabvala provided similar confirmation.
“The Commanders are signing former Bills OLB Boogie Basham, per source,” she wrote. “The former second-round pick was one of eight defensive players to work out for the team yesterday.”
Basham spent the first part of 2026 with the UFL’s DC Defenders, staying active while searching for another NFL opportunity. That spring league stop kept him playing near the Washington area.
UFL and NFL reporter James Larsen highlighted the local angle.
“The Washington Commanders have now signed two members of the DC Defenders,” he wrote. “Pretty neat for Curtis Jacobs, and now Boogie Basham, to keep playing pro football in the city with Washington.”
The Commanders face the Baltimore Ravens on the road Friday in their final preseason game. Basham will have a short window to show what he can do before roster cuts.
Buffalo selected Basham in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft after he earned All-ACC honors at Wake Forest in 2019 and 2020. Expectations were high for the athletic edge defender to develop into a consistent pass rusher.
Those hopes never materialized during his time with the Bills. In two seasons in Buffalo, Basham finished with 37 tackles, 4.5 sacks, five tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits.
The Bills eventually traded him to the New York Giants before the 2023 season, receiving a 2025 sixth-round pick in return. That transaction closed the chapter on a pick that many in Buffalo came to view as a missed opportunity.
Compounding the frustration, the next rounds of the 2021 draft produced a pair of future All-Pro offensive linemen shortly after Basham came off the board. Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey went two picks later at No. 63 overall, while Denver Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz was selected in the third round at No. 98.
Buffalo has spent recent offseasons trying to fix its edge-rushing issues. The team signed former first-round pick Bradley Chubb to a three-year, $43.5 million deal this past free agency period in a clear effort to upgrade the position.
Greg Rousseau remains a starter on the other side, and the Bills are counting on a significant contribution from rookie T.J. Parker, their first selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. Parker posted 39 career tackles for loss in college, the second-most in the FBS since 2023, and stood out as the only FBS player since 2024 with at least five forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries.
Basham’s path since leaving Buffalo has included time with the Giants and the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad before this latest move. From a Bills perspective, his journey underscores how difficult it can be to turn a second-round selection into a long-term contributor.
The organization has moved on and invested in new talent at the position. Still, watching a former draft pick continue to chase opportunities elsewhere offers a familiar story of unfulfilled potential in the NFL.
Whether Basham can carve out a role with the Commanders remains uncertain. For those who followed his career in Buffalo, the signing simply marks the latest stop for a player the Bills once hoped would help anchor their defense.
