Editor’s note: Everyone’s excited about the Commanders’ NFL Draft haul. Rightfully so. That doesn’t mean each selection will slot into a prominent role as a rookie. We’ll discuss realistic expectations for each player over the next few days, leading into Commanders rookie minicamp. In this installment, we evaluate a productive, strong-armed quarterback from Rutgers:
QB Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers
Selection: Seventh round, No. 223 overall
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 216 pounds
Realistic expectations for: Sonny Styles | Antonio Williams
| Joshua Josephs | Kaytron Allen | Matt Gulbin
What assistant GM Lance Newmark said: “He has a great energy and truly loves the game of football. He saw his career take off late in his career. Statistically, everything popped last year – completion percentage – and he led the Big Ten in passing yards. Touchdown-to-interception ratio, everything improved and is on the upswing with him in terms of production. … (During) the interactions we had with him, he just brought life to any room he’s in.”
[RELATED: Why Commanders took Athan Kaliakmanis in NFL Draft]
What Athan Kaliakmanis said: “I wanted to be a Commander. I loved the coaching staff when I went on my visit there. I was so excited. I can’t wait to get coached, man. I’m so excited.
“… I want to do whatever I can to help the team win. I’m going to be on a roster with a great group, group of QBs, and I can’t wait to learn and take something away from every single one of them. They all have a great resume. They’ve all been big time quarterbacks and whatever I can do to help the team win, that’s what I want to do.”
Prominent members of the position group*: Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota, Sam Hartman
*Note: Taken from Mark Tyler’s way-too-early 53-man depth chart
[RELATED: Jayden Daniels has ‘extra hunger’ heading into 2026 season]
Perfect-world expectations: This category is focused on a “perfect-world” situation, but there is no utopian view of Kaliakmanis starting or even playing in a position group that includes Daniels and Mariota. No offense to the Rutgers alum, but that would be a nightmare scenario for the Commanders. The best-case scenario for the Commanders would be for Kaliakmanis to develop well behind the established quarterbacks, beat out Hartman for the No. 3 job and prove worthy of a backup role down the road.
[RELATED: Commanders select Athan Kaliakmanis in the 2026 NFL Draft]
Real-world expectations: We all know what Brock Purdy has done, going from Mr. Irrelevant to a steady starter, but that’s an aberration. Even in the Purdy scenario, that was a developmental situation. In most cases, these picks are fliers. That’s why teams like the Commanders invest so heavily (i.e. the No. 2 overall pick in 2024 and $7 million for Mariota) in the quarterback position and work to develop talent on the back end.
Kaliakmanis is a prospect worth developing, and the seventh round was the right time to take him. The production uptick in his final season provides encouragement for the future, and he has an NFL-type arm to work with. If he turns into a quality backup on a rookie deal, that’s a win. Outside of that, being a good member of the quarterback room should be considered a solid start.
What are your expectations for Athan Kaliakmanis in his rookie year? Add them in the comments below.
