Running back Rob Kelley, right, says star teammates like Kirk Cousins, left, didn’t care that he was undrafted once they saw him play. Yet they’re still encouraging the young rookie to reach his potential. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Rob Kelley keeps receiving compliments, and they’re all well deserved. The rookie has soared up the depth chart since he joined the team as an undrafted free agent in May and is now the Washington Redskins’ starting running back.

He was dishing out praise Sunday, too. Although Kelley wants to see all of his teammates shine on the field, he has a soft spot for his fellow undrafted rookies.

“I kept congratulating [wide receiver] Maurice [Harris] about the same three catches he made on the sideline,” Kelley said. “He’s probably tired of me now, but I’m just happy to see guys that came from the same type of situation that you come from succeed.”

They start as names on a list, mostly unknown to the general populace. At the start of offseason practices, 16 low-risk college free agents begin their journeys from the bottom with nearly insurmountable odds to make the Redskins’ roster. There are only three remaining on the active roster — Kelley, Harris and defensive end Anthony Lanier II. They’re far from finished players, but all three undrafted rookies made noticeable contributions in the 26-20 victory Sunday over the Minnesota Vikings.

The most noteworthy performance of the trio at FedEx Field came from Kelley, who was three yards shy of his first 100-yard rushing performance. The Tulane product gained 97 yards on 22 carries in his second start, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. Kelley, 24, continues to improve as his role has expanded from third back and special teams contributor to a starter with more than 20 carries in each of the past two games.

Wwide receiver Maurice Harris dives for a pass during a rainy preseason game. Ten weeks later, the undrafted player from Cal is an active wide receiver who is getting passes thrown his way. (Jason Behnken/Associated Press)

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“It’s not a bad thing, but we wasn’t drafted like everybody else,” Kelley said. “Some people didn’t think that we’d be here at this moment. I think that we, not really have a chip, but some type of edge on our shoulder right now. We try to respond by showing that we can play with everybody else in this league.”

Kelley replaced Matt Jones, who was a healthy scratch against the Vikings, as the starting running back two weeks ago against the Cincinnati Bengals. He gained positive yards on 21 of his 22 carries and has done nothing to suggest he would relinquish his new role.

Listed at 6 feet and 228 pounds, Kelley said the belief from his teammates was born during the preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons when he broke off an 18-yard run and capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown. The locker room has rallied around him ever since, helping build his confidence for this moment.

“Those guys don’t care if you’re first round or undrafted, they treat you the same,” Kelley said before he was interrupted by tight end Jordan Reed, who congratulated him on his performance. “They just want to be on the field with playmakers. . . . They never let up on me. Even when I’m in the game now and [quarterback] Kirk [Cousins] is always motivating me like, ‘Robert, I love the way you run the ball. Keep doing what you’re doing.’ Those guys don’t care. As long as you’re balling and you’re a good teammate, they’ll adapt to you.”

Harris, 24, played just eight snaps, but he made the most of his limited role in the absence of wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury. The California product recorded his first three NFL catches for 28 yards in his third game. The Redskins promoted Harris from the practice squad before their Week 7 matchup against the Detroit Lions as the corresponding move to placing wide receiver Josh Doctson, the team’s first-round pick, on injured reserve.

“It’s a pressure situation, obviously, but I try not to put that pressure on myself,” Harris said. “Just kind of relax, and I feel that I do better when I’m relaxed instead of thinking if I mess up that I’m not going to play. Just kind of go out there and have fun.”

1 of 84 Full Screen Autoplay Close Week 16: Washington 41, Bears 21 at Soldier Field Week 15: Carolina Panthers 26, Redskins 15 at FedEx Field. Week 14: Redskins 27, Philadelphia Eagles 22, at Lincoln Financial Field. Week 13: Arizona Cardinals 31, Redskins at University of Phoenix Staduim Week 12: Dallas Cowboys 31, Redskins 26 at AT&T Stadium Week 11: Washington 42, Green Bay 24, at FedEx Field. Week 9: Washington 26, Minnesota Vikings 20 at FedEx Field. Week 8: Washington 27, Bengals 27, at Wembley Field in London. Week 7: Washington 17, Lions 20 at Ford Field. Week 6: Washington 27, Eagles 20 at FedEx Field. Week 5: Washington 16, Ravens 10 in Baltimore. Week 4: Washington 31, Cleveland Browns 20 at FedEx Field. Week 3: Washington 29, NY Giants 27 at MetLife Stadium. Skip Ad × Photos from the Redskins’ season so far View Photos A look at the standout images from Washington’s games in 2016. Caption Washington went 8-7-1 and missed the playoffs by a whisker. Here’s a look at the standout images from 2016. Reed celebrated his touchdown, which he hoped would set the stage for a dramatic Washington win. Nick Wass/Associated Press Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.

[Five observations from the Redskins’ win over the Vikings]

Lanier’s biggest play doesn’t show up in the box score. He didn’t record a tackle and contributed one of the defense’s eight hits on Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford, but Lanier took a legal shot at Bradford on the defense’s second drive just as Bradford completed a toss to running back Ronnie Hillman, who was wrapped up by linebacker Su’a Cravens for a six-yard loss.

“It was meant to set a tone,” Lanier said. “It was in between the whistles and everything was legal about it, but I had to let [Bradford] know that we were there. We’re not just coming here to lay down. We’re here for a reason and not just to sit here and let y’all whoop us. That’s how we expect to come out every game.”

Lanier, 23, was a training camp surprise out of Alabama A&M and did enough to make the 53-man roster, but he was inactive for the first seven games. He made his NFL debut against the Bengals two weeks ago and had a fumble recovery in his 12 snaps. Against the Vikings, Lanier contributed with his aggressiveness, playing 18 snaps.

“Just to be able to do that, it makes the whole game change,” Lanier said. “In the first quarter, I get a big hit on you and it takes you 10 seconds to get up, you thinking about that the rest of the game. And there ain’t no forgetting that.”

Credit goes to the players and the front office. General Manager Scot McCloughan has a track record of finding college free agent gems, and Senior Personnel Executive Doug Williams always has his eyes on under-the-radar talent at historically black colleges and universities. Whether they remain significant contributors for the final seven regular season games or the foreseeable future remains to be seen, but they all deserve the praise they’re receiving in Week 10.

“Not saying that I don’t worry about my other teammates doing good because I like to see those guys thrive, too, but it’s just something special when you can connect with that person,” Kelley said.