Athan Kaliakmanis

NFL player. Position: QB. Team: WAS.

Quick Facts

Position: Quarterback
Team: WAS (Washington Commanders)
College: Rutgers (previously Minnesota)
Draft: 2026 Round 7, Pick 223

2026 Outlook

Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis was drafted by the Washington Commanders in Round 7 (pick 223) to compete for the backup spot behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota. Kaliakmanis brings 42 starts as a Big Ten quarterback, having started his collegiate career at Minnesota before transferring to Rutgers for his final two seasons. In 2025 senior season at Rutgers, he finished with a 62% completion rate, threw for over 3,100 yards, and recorded 20 touchdowns. He was bested by only Indiana's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza when it came to completions of 20 or more yards in 2025. Kaliakmanis was a team captain at Rutgers and is expected to compete for the third quarterback spot behind Daniels and the veteran backup Mariota, with long-term developmental potential (per How the Commanders finessed the 2026 NFL Draft to steal massive value).

Role / Depth Chart

Competing for third-string quarterback role behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota; potential developmental backup of the future.

Injury Status

Healthy entering 2026.

Recent News

2026-04-23 — Broncos NFL Draft Big Board: Top Targets for Every Round (Broncos NFL Draft Big Board: Top Targets for Every Round)
2026-04-03 — NFL Draft Preview: Patriots Could Seek Developmental Quarterback (NFL Draft Preview: Patriots Could Seek Developmental Quarterback)
2026-04-28 — State of Washington's post-draft roster (State of Washington's post-draft roster)
2026-04-26 — 2026 NFL draft: Best picks, trades, QB fits and predictions (2026 NFL draft: Best picks, trades, QB fits and predictions)
2026-06-04 — Mike Clay's fantasy football dynasty and rookie rankings (Mike Clay's fantasy football dynasty and rookie rankings)
2026-05-20 — 2026 Dynasty Fantasy football rookie top 50: Carson Beck rises in updated Superflex... (2026 Dynasty Fantasy football rookie top 50: Carson Beck rises in updated Superflex...)
2026-04-25 — Where does Rutgers QB competition stand as spring camp concludes? (Where does Rutgers QB competition stand as spring camp concludes?)
2026-04-27 — How the Commanders finessed the 2026 NFL Draft to steal massive value (How the Commanders finessed the 2026 NFL Draft to steal massive value)

Open Questions

Can Kaliakmanis develop into a viable NFL backup?
Will his Big Ten production translate to the professional level?