The Washington Commanders may not be in the market for a new starting quarterback, but they've quietly added one of the most experienced signal-callers in this year's draft class to their depth chart. ESPN has already placed two Commanders in the early NFL Rookie of the Year conversation, and the buzz around their latest addition is growing.

While the 2026 quarterback class was widely considered thin, Washington found a gem in Kaliakmanis—a player with starting experience dating back to his redshirt freshman year at Minnesota. He first stepped into a starting role in 2022, completing 60 of 111 passes for 946 yards and three touchdowns over five games. By 2023, he was named Minnesota's full-time starter, finishing with 1,839 yards, 14 touchdowns, and just three interceptions on 53.1% passing.

After entering the transfer portal, Kaliakmanis landed at Rutgers, where he quickly became one of the most productive quarterbacks in program history. Over two seasons, he started 25 games and amassed 5,820 passing yards—seventh all-time for the Scarlet Knights—along with 38 passing touchdowns. His 442 completions on 763 attempts and 6,045 total yards of offense also rank seventh in program history.

Kaliakmanis didn't just put up numbers; he etched his name alongside Rutgers legends. He became the first quarterback in school history to throw for at least 2,500 yards in back-to-back seasons and joins an elite group of three Rutgers quarterbacks to record 200 completions and 20 touchdowns in a single season. His six 300-yard games rank fourth all-time for the program.

With 42 starts in 48 career appearances, Kaliakmanis enters the NFL as the third most experienced quarterback in this year's draft class, trailing only Carson Beck and Taylen Green. For a Commanders team looking to build depth behind their starter, this kind of veteran savvy could prove invaluable—and it's already turning heads in early Rookie of the Year discussions.