The 2026 NFL Draft is almost here, which means every team is working on its last bit of preparation before the show starts on April 23rd. The Jacksonville Jaguars, for their part, appear to be investigating players they can bring in as insurance for positions that are already well spoken for. B&T's newest mock draft was balanced and found loads of talent on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. However, it did not mention the possibility of acquiring a new quarterback.
At this point in the Trevor Lawrence Era, there's probably less than a 1 percent chance that he'll see any type of serious competition in training camp. However, there isn't much talent behind him. If Lawrence were to miss a few regular-season games for whatever reason, the team would be left in a precarious position.
Knowing this, a notable member of Jacksonville's coaching staff held a virtual meeting with a college prospect who could help Liam Coen out in a pinch if he has to deal with the unthinkable. Hardcore fans of the Big 10 Conference who happen to live in Jax might even know who he is.
Rutgers' Athan Kaliakmanis could be the Jaguars' backup QB of the future
While he certainly isn't the most-flashy name in this draft class, Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis brings a ton of experience to the table. Sports Illustrated's Brandon Olsen claims that 2025 was the signal caller's best year of development, as he learned how to throw the ball downfield without giving DBs layup opportunities to force turnovers.
Olsen also mentions that Kaliakmanis spent three seasons with the Minnesota Golden Gophers before transferring and spending his final two seasons of college eligibility at Rutgers. This type of seasoning at the highest level of college football is hard to come by these days, which makes Athan a very low-risk prospect to consider. So why is he a fit with the Jags and not other NFL teams?
TitanSized's Justin Melo recently tweeted out that Jacksonville's quarterbacks coach, Spencer Whipple, chatted remotely with Kaliakmanis to learn more about him. Giving a position coach this type of assignment shows that Liam Coen has a lot of faith in his assistants. Depending on Whipple's report to the boss' office, the former four-star prospect could become a late-round flyer or high-priority free agent for the Jags to consider.
Despite QB being at the bottom of the Jaguars' list of needs, blockbuster moves around the NFL show that general managers aren't impressed with the top-end value of this year's draft class. James Gladstone would look like a genius if he could protect Jax from suffering a mid-season slump after elevating the floor of the roster and providing much-needed depth two seasons in a row.
In the current market, a serviceable QB2 can cost upwards of $10 million a year if they have multiple suitors. Kaliakmanis wouldn't be that pricey as an undrafted free agent, but he would be popular enough to warrant selecting him in the seventh round to make sure he books a one-way flight to Duval County.
As Gladstone, Coen, and Tony Boselli continue to focus on running it back, supporting the QB room as much as possible is a necessity. Bringing in a 22-year-old player with a history of marinating in stable cultures for years at a time would be a great first step.
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