The D.C. Defenders are set to sign wide receiver Monroe Young on Tuesday according to Pro Football Newsroom’s James Larsen in the wake of wide receiver Kelvin Harmon’s injury.
Monroe Young is six foot one and weighs 205 pounds. The 23-year-old from Las Cruces, New Mexico, went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft and attended the San Francisco 49ers rookie minicamp last week. At the 2024 NFL Combine, Young ran a 4.52 in the 40-yard dash, a vertical jump of 40’ 0”, and 17 reps of 225 pounds on the bench.
Collegiately, Young played six seasons at California (2018-23) making 48 catches for 511 yards, four touchdowns, three carries for eight yards, and two tackles (2 solo) in 46 games for the Golden Bears. In 2023, Young made 19 catches for 208 yards, one touchdown, three carries for eight yards, and one tackle (1 solo) in 13 games.
Kelvin Harmon is six foot two and weighs 215 pounds. The 26-year-old from Monrovia, Liberia, was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the sixth round (206th pick) in the 2019 NFL Draft.
In his rookie year, Harmon caught 30 passes for 365 yards in 16 games, of which eight were starts for the Redskins. In 2020, Harmon suffered an ACL tear while training for the upcoming season and missed the season.
After being released in 2021, he re-signed with Washington and was placed on the practice squad. Later, he re-signed with Washington again in January 2022 but was released during training camp. Then, signed with the Philadelphia Stars on March 21, 2023, but was released on April 10, 2023.
Then, Harmon signed with the D.C. Defenders on October 19, 2023. In 2024, Harmon made 31 catches for 375 yards, and three touchdowns in seven games, of which six were starts for the Defenders.
Collegiately, Harmon played three seasons at North Carolina State (2016-18) making 177 catches for 2,665 yards, 16 touchdowns, and two tackles (1 solo, 1 assist) in 38 games for the Wolf Pack.
In addition, Harmon played at Palmyra High School (NJ) with 165 catches for 2,764 yards and 36 touchdowns in his career. He helped the team to a 10-2 record, reaching the New Jersey Central Group 1 state finals.
