Athan
Kaliakmanis.
Athan
Kaliakmanis.
Rutgers· 6'3"· 216 lb· 4.92s 40
R7 · #223 · Washington Commanders"A structured, backup-tier pocket passer in the Kyle Allen mold: competent when the offense is on schedule, exposed when it is not."Pre-draft read
Kaliakmanis operates as a rhythm quarterback, excelling when schemes dictate pre-snap reads. He employs clean dropback timing with a compact, quick release. Within play-action or quick-game structures, he layers the ball effectively, delivering a catchable spiral with placement on common short and intermediate routes.
His pre-snap work is a strength: identifying rotation, setting protection, and playing on time. Limits appear when structure breaks. Under interior pressure, his feet falter, and his accuracy dissipates. He functions as a scrambler for first downs rather than a designed-run threat, with sack totals reflecting a player who holds the ball after the first read has passed.
This passer is a good fit for a Shanahan-style outside zone or West Coast timing scheme that prioritizes play-action, quick rhythm throws, and a structured pre-snap plan.
Year 1 as a backup, with a ceiling as a low-end starter in a rhythm-based system leveraging play-action.
He would struggle in an Air Raid or spread RPO system that demands quick decision-making under pressure and off-platform accuracy.
Kaliakmanis is a developmental quarterback who thrives in structure and accurate short-to-intermediate throws from a clean pocket, limiting his versatility in less defined schemes.
2026 NFL Draft Highlights: QB Athan Kaliakmanis | Rutgers Football
Career reel focused on his play-action timing and shot plays at Rutgers.
16 Days to Kickoff: Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis Highlights
Conference-produced package from his final season.
Every throw from Athan Kaliakmanis versus Ohio State
All-22 style throw-by-throw against the toughest defense on his schedule, the tape that framed his ceiling debate.
Kaliakmanis projects as a structured play-action pocket passer, best suited for a backup role. His primary value lies in his processing ability and adherence to timing, which allows him to operate within a defined offensive system. While his arm strength is adequate, it lacks the special quality required to consistently make difficult boundary or deep-field throws under duress.
He redshirted in 2021, securing five starts in 2022 before starting all twelve games in 2023 with mixed results at Minnesota. After transferring to Rutgers, he developed into a two-time team captain, starting 25 games and delivering his most productive season in 2025, throwing for 3,124 yards with 20 touchdowns against 7 interceptions, completing 62.2% of his passes. He continued to struggle against elite collegiate defenses.
Evaluators noted his struggles against top competition and his tendency to lose accuracy under pressure. Despite a career year in 2025, he did not receive a Combine invitation. The Commanders selected him with the 223rd overall pick, likely as a developmental arm with a perceived high floor for understanding an offense.
- 01
Pre-snap diagnosis
consistently identifies rotation, sets protections, and plays on time, which is the strongest aspect of his game.
- 02
Play-action and quick game
processes and delivers the ball with good timing in structured rhythm plays, producing catchable throws.
- 03
Shot-play production
in 2025, he accumulated over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns on throws traveling twenty-plus yards.
- 04
Durability and leadership
played 48 career games, started 42, and served as a two-time team captain at Rutgers.
- 05
Functional release
employs a compact, repeatable release that supports his on-schedule delivery in the short and intermediate areas.
- 01
Average arm strength
far-hash and boundary throws often float, providing defensive backs opportunities to close and break on the ball.
- 02
Deep-ball trajectory
throws are lofted rather than driven, which restricts their utility against faster NFL defensive closing speeds.
- 03
Pocket movement
feet become static under interior pressure, often leading to him losing awareness of backside rushers.
- 04
Off-platform accuracy
accuracy degrades significantly when the initial read is covered and he is forced to extend the play.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.92sp50
- Vertical
- 29.5inp50
- Broad jump
- 114inp50
- Three-cone
- 6.96sp50
- Shuttle
- 4.33sp50
- Bench
- —rep
| Yr | Team | G | Cmp | Att | Yds | TD | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Minnesota | 11 | 60 | 111 | 946 | 3 | 4 |
| 2023 | Minnesota | 12 | 156 | 294 | 1838 | 14 | 9 |
| 2024 | Rutgers | 13 | 213 | 395 | 2696 | 18 | 7 |
| 2025 | Rutgers | 12 | 229 | 368 | 3124 | 20 | 7 |
| Career | — | 48 | 658 | 1168 | 8604 | 55 | 27 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
- KJ DuffWR13%
- Ian StrongWR9%
- Michael Thomas IIIWR9%
#1 of 18 tracked contributors · Production leaned on volume · Offense explosiveness 1.22 (p40) · CFBD — usage x PPA per tracked player
Honors
- Two-time team captain at Rutgers
- Big Ten co-Freshman of the Week (2022)
- Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year (2021, high school)
A developmental third quarterback who lives on the roster bubble and gets his snaps in August.
A long-tenured NFL backup who wins the No. 2 job on preparation and timing and can survive a four-game stretch as a starter.
A productive college passer whose tools do not translate and whose pro career never gets past camp arm.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Washington closed its draft on the kind of quarterback that modern rooms keep three of: big enough, smart enough, and cheap enough to develop behind an established starter. The pitch is his brain and his timing, not his arm. He can run a scripted install, protect the football in structure and be trusted in a walkthrough, which is most of what a No. 3 quarterback is asked to do in year one.
Getting past that requires the pocket to stop rattling him, because the tools will not bail him out on a hot route or a third-and-eight against pressure. Realistic outcome: a long career as a backup who is genuinely valuable in the meeting room and survivable for a two-week stretch, with the floor being a camp arm who cycles through two or three organizations.