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ASHBURN, Va. — Washington Commanders seventh-round pick Athan Kaliakmanis was just drafted into a crowded quarterback room, with Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota ahead of him. Even Sam Hartman has been around for two seasons.
And that doesn't bother him one bit. In fact, it's what he said he wanted.
"Who else would you want to learn from being in my position?" Kaliakmanis said via conference call wearing a Commanders hat and a big smile.
"It's a dream come true. I wanted to be a Commander. I was so excited."
Kaliakmanis was the eighth quarterback selected in the draft — and the first one taken by Washington since it chose Daniels with the second pick in 2024.
The Commanders' quarterback room is clearly defined with Daniels the starter and Mariota the backup. Hartman served as the fourth quarterback most of the season, spending all but the final two games on the practice squad until injuries to Daniels and then Mariota forced him to be Josh Johnson's backup.
Hartman was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2024. He spent time on the practice squad and regular-season roster as a rookie as well but has yet to take a snap in a game.
Kaliakmanis was among Washington's top-30 visits, attending their annual group outing at Top Golf on April 14.
"We are where we are with Jayden and with Marcus and Sam," Washington assistant general manager Lance Newmark said. "This guy at this time made sense. We liked a lot about him. We wanted see if could address that position. He made sense on a lot of levels for us."
Kaliakmanis played three seasons at Minnesota, starting 17 games in his final two, before transferring to Rutgers, where he started 25 games the past two years. He threw a combined 38 touchdown passes to 14 interceptions at Rutgers.
Despite completing only 16 more passes last season than his previous year, Kaliakmanis threw for 428 more yards. That's because he became more adept throwing down the field, with 27 completions that traveled at least 20 air yards — 13 more such completions than in his junior year.
"It was just constant work with my teammates, throwing before practice, throwing offseason, every weekend, everyday throwing," Kaliakmanis said. "We were always throwing. We were building that connection. I think that's what made the season what it was."
Kaliakmanis said during his visit he told new offensive coordinator David Blough that he had watched him play for Purdue from 2014 to '18. But Kaliakmanis also recalled what he told then-Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles after a 42-9 loss on Nov. 22 in Columbus. Washington chose Styles with the seventh pick Thursday.
"I told Sonny, 'I'm going to see you again,'" Kaliakmanis said. "I was really referring to the next level, but it turns out we're on the same team. This guy could fly. This guy could get to areas fast. I was really hoping I wouldn't have to play against him. I'm happy he's on my team for sure."
