Hogs Haven
This article will not take a deeper look at Athan Kaliakmanis’ nicknames, of which there are several, including “the Greek Rifle” and “Golden Boy.” Instead, we will focus on what makes the selection of the former Rutgers QB in the seventh round a good decision.
Following the conclusion of the 2026 NFL draft, there were several analysts that disagreed with this premise, assigning Adam Peters’ final pick an overall “C-” grade.
Reasons for the poor grade varied, but most of the criticism centered around a perceived lack of need, the opinion that there were better options still available, and that Kaliakmanis’ overall body of work in college was not impressive. Let’s address each item separately.
The need at the position might not be readily apparent to some as Marcus Mariota returns for a third season to back up Jayden Daniels. Generally viewed as one of the better QB2s in the league, Mariota has seen far more game action than most would prefer. In the first season, Marcus proved his worth early, taking over for an injured Daniels in the team’s matchup versus the Carolina Panthers and skillfully leading the team to a 40-7 victory. More importantly, he came into the last game of the season to guide the team in a comeback win versus the Cowboys and clinched the 6th seed in the NFC playoffs for the Commanders with a last-second throw to Terry McLaurin. Things started to unravel when Mariota was pressed into service the second half of last season, starting eight games with a 2-6 win-loss record. While the team had already been decimated by injuries by the time Mariota started the majority of his games, his play slowly deteriorated over the course of the season, and Marcus’ decision-making in London’s Miami game was questionable.
Turning 33 years old in October and still commanding one of the highest backup quarterback salaries in the league, Washington may look to go in another direction in 2027. While another veteran is always an option, a younger player with potential to grow along with David Blough would be preferable. The Commanders coaching staff signaled that Sam Hartman was not that player when they opted to go with Josh Johnson at the end of the season. So what makes Athan the choice over other options that were available at the tail end of the draft, including Garrett Nussmeier or Haynes King?
Kaliakmanis doesn’t distinguish himself in the size or athleticism categories, with okay to good ratings in most categories and a poor one for speed.
Athan certainly doesn’t have the mobility of a Haynes King (RAS 9.61) or the arm of Nussmeier, and his performance under pressure is a work in progress. He does have demonstrated rhythm and timing with a quick release along with the ability to challenge all three levels of defense, which makes him a good fit for David Blough’s proposed offense. The arm strength might not be elite, but Kaliakmanis throws an extremely accurate deep ball with a nice...
