The Washington Commanders wrapped up their 2026 NFL draft with an intriguing addition to their quarterback room, a “rhythm passer” compared to No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. That’s the backhanded compliment paid to Athan Kaliakmanis, taken by the Commanders in Round 7 on Saturday, April 25.
He may be a lesser version of top pick Mendoza, but 223rd selection and former Rutgers QB1 Kaliakmanis actually kept pace with the new Las Vegas Raiders passer in an exciting statistical category last season.
Athan Kaliakmanis Handled Fernando Mendoza Comparisons
Being compared, favorably or otherwise, to the quarterback long considered the consensus top player in this class could be a burden, but Kaliakmanis handled any Mendoza talk well.
He handled being, what NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero called “almost like a lesser Mendoza where if everything’s clean and he can just click through a progression, he’s got a good arm, he’s got good accuracy, he’s got good mechanics.”
Kaliakmanis got to this point by cleaning up his game after he transferred to Rutgers from Minnesota. Playing for the Scarlet Knights helped Kaliakmanis take his development as a quarterback up a couple of levels.
The progression was shown by Kaliakmanis “showing better base mechanics and a more dialed-in downfield touch (28 completions of 20-plus yards in 2025, one behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza),” according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic.
There’s those parallels with Mendoza again. Yet, there are two intangibles the Commanders might like better than any similarities Kaliakmanis has to the headline pick in this draft.
Those qualities involve Kaliakmanis staying “calm under pressure” and demonstrating “good anticipatory timing,” per Stadium Rant and Draft Professor’s Clint Goss.
Attributes like these can underpin the depth chart at football’s most important position. Something the Commanders need behind star signal-caller Jayden Daniels.
Commanders Had Room for a Quarterback
The injuries Daniels suffered last season, including wrecking his elbow twice, underscored Washington’s need for a competent deputy. Fortunately, veteran Marcus Mariota brought similar dual-threat skills and a command of the offense to the field.
It made sense to bring Mariota back during free agency this year. Particularly for a relative bargain fee, but the Commanders still entered this draft with room to add another quarterback.
Undrafted former Notre Dame starter Sam Hartman is still on the roster, but he hasn’t always been a go-to choice when options have thinned. Kaliakmanis is four years younger and has the tools to provide genuine competition. The 22-year-old winning the third sport in the pecking order would provided a good return for a pick in the final round.
Achieving anything more would make Kaliakmanis a true draft steal. Perhaps the second of this year’s haul, after general manager Adam Peters took another late-round flier on a hugely productive running back, following last year’s success with seventh-rounder Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
Kaliakmanis isn’t entering the same situation as JCM, who joined a position group lacking a true lead option. There’s no such uncertainty at quarterback as long as Daniels remains upright, but his daring, but worrying playing style means the Commanders always need ample insurance in their QB room.
Commanders Draft ‘Lesser’ Fernando Mendoza for Quarterback Room