Kaytron Allen, former Penn State all-time leading rusher, showcased his skills during rookie minicamp this weekend. His performance impressed coaches despite limited playing time.
Key points
Kaytron Allen is a former Penn State all-time leading rusher
He impressed during rookie minicamp
His playing time was limited but notable
He is now with the Washington Commanders
Mentioned in this story
Penn State
Kaytron AllenWashington Commanders
#31 RB Kaytron Allen runs past former Hokie, Caleb Wooden; rookie minicamp
#31 RB Kaytron Allen runs past former Hokie, Caleb Wooden; rookie minicamp
Editorâs note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles a collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy!
Notes from rookie minicamp, where Sonny Styles stood out but others flashed
There are roughly 40 players on the field, almost all of whom know nothing about the Commanders playbook, and probably fewer than half of whom will ever make an NFL roster.
The math goes like this: 6 draft picks, 9 undrafted free agents, a few holdovers from the 2025 practice squad and then a host of âtryoutâ players. It is technically a tryout, but the reality is much more that these young men get invited to rookie minicamp but rarely heard from again. Not always, but the theory is the coaches want enough players on the field to run 11v11 drills.
Covering rookie minicamp for over a decade the most important lesson Iâve learned is to not take anything too seriously.
Now, with all the caveats out of the way, Sonny Styles absolutely looks like the real deal. Fluid, quick, smart. In 7v7 passing drills any time a pass went near the line of scrimmage or towards the middle of the field it seemed like Styles was in perfect position to absolutely blast the pass catcher.
In fact, on one play Styles made contact. Nothing crazy but his shoulder connected with the receiver. The coaches had to pretend to be upset with Styles, but we all know they loved it.
Q&A
What did Kaytron Allen achieve at rookie minicamp?
Kaytron Allen impressed coaches with his performance during rookie minicamp, despite limited playing time.
Who is Kaytron Allen and what is his background?
Kaytron Allen is the former all-time leading rusher for Penn State, known for his significant contributions to the team's offense.
Which NFL team is Kaytron Allen associated with?
Kaytron Allen is associated with the Washington Commanders.
What are the expectations for Kaytron Allen in the NFL?
Expectations for Kaytron Allen include making a significant impact as a rookie running back for the Commanders.
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Got to meet Kaytron âFatmanâ Allen and thatâs a humble young man. He seemed very excited to be part of an NFL roster, but more importantly, he looked the part on the field. Dan Quinn called the rookie RB out of Penn State a back with âdemonstrated power.â Nobody was wearing pads at rookie camp so there was no contact, but Allen does an excellent job of keeping his shoulders square even as he turns. You can also see in his body, heâs a bigger guy but carries it well. The path to a roster spot for Fatman is prove to be a capable short yardage back. He looks the part. He did have a drop on a pass out of the backfield, but hard to know how good the pass was either.
Two practice squad receivers from the 2025 roster also took part on Friday â JaâCorey Brooks and Jacoby Jones. Both had nice catches during the afternoonâs session.
New undrafted WR Chris Hilton Jr. was the last man on the practice field, working the Jugs machine. He played his college ball at LSU and knows Jayden Daniels well. He was a 5-star recruit but things just never went right in his time at Baton Rouge. Somebody interesting to keep an eye on.
Kaytron Allen was a Day 3 pick. He was highly productive at Penn State. Though he doesnât possess the elite breakaway speed of the leagueâs most prolific running backs, heâs a powerful runner between the tackles who can set the tone.
Allen put that on full display over Washingtonâs rookie minicamp. Those in attendance were taken aback by his size and physicality in the short areas of the field. There is some work ahead to evolve as a pass-catcher, but the Commanders wouldnât need much of that from him with their other backfield options.
The Commanders needed another capable wide receiver from the draft. That was non-negotiable, and it already looks like they might have a steal on their hands in third-round pick Antonio Williams.
There is a lot to like about Williamsâ ability to be impactful within David Bloughâs new schematic concepts. He was projected as a first-round pick before the 2025 season, but injury problems and Clemsonâs collapse saw his stock slide. That worked out well for Washington, and those in attendance over the two-day rookie minicamp came away impressed.
John Keim of ESPN was among those who noted the suddenness of Williamsâ route stems and how quickly he turned upfield after making the catch. This matches the tape from his college days with the Tigers, so itâs a solid platform from which to build.
Williams has a real shot at earning his fair share of targets immediately. More help might be coming to the wideout unit, but optimism around the rookie continues to grow.
The best case scenario for him in Washington is he develops into a long term back up for Daniels or potentially a trade asset in the future. As a seventh round pick, thereâs no guarantee he makes the roster. Heâs in a battle with Sam Hartman to be the third quarterback behind Daniels and Marcus Mariota. Even if he wins that battle, with the depth the Commanders have built up this offseason at other positions, they may opt to only keep two quarterbacks on the final 53.
So I want to set out expectations for Kaliakmanis and make it very clear heâs purely a developmental quarterback at this point. But heâs one that does have some traits that fit what weâre expecting David Blough to be looking for in his quarterbacks. When you think of a seventh round quarterback, especially in the modern NFL where quarterbacks are typically overdrafted, you expect a guy thatâs missing throws widely and canât read a defense at all. Thatâs not Kaliakmanis. He can make very accurate throws and heâs not afraid to attack the middle of the field.
Another trait that Kaliakmanis shows is the ability to throw with timing and anticipation.
Washington finished the 2025 campaign last in yards allowed and 27th in points against. The Commanders were in the bottom five of rushing and passing yards allowed. They were also 31st in takeaways.
An inside linebacker can fix a lot of those issues. There wasnât a better linebacker available in the 2026 NFL Draft than Styles. So if any rookie is going to step into Washingtonâs defense and help at inside linebacker, itâs Styles.
To support the rookie inside linebacker, the Commanders also selected edge rusher Joshua Josephs in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
On paper, Hiltonâs career stats (41 receptions for 780 yards and six touchdowns) look modest. However, the context is in the explosive efficiency: eight of those 41 catches (nearly 20%) went for 40+ yards.
Beyond the offense, Hilton was known as an excellent âgunnerâ on special teams at LSU. For a UDFA, that is the golden ticket to a 53-man roster. At the NFL Combine, Hilton clocked a 4.41-second 40-yard dash with an elite 1.57 ten-yard split. That is top-tier speed that forces safeties to respect the deep halfâa vertical element the Commandersâ offense lacked throughout the 2025 season.
Tabbed as a potential player to watch ahead of rookie minicamp, Hilton is a quintessential âtraitsâ flyer as a UDFA. If he can stay healthy and rekindle that big-play chemistry with Jayden Daniels, he could provide depth and a deep threat component for the back end of the roster. In the modern NFL, you canât have enough depth and speed, and Washington is banking on the idea that Hiltonâs best football is finally ahead of him.
[T]here is another undrafted free agent that fans should know about: defensive tackle Jeffrey Mâba.
Mâba is a 6-foot-5, 316-pound interior defensive lineman from SMU. A native of Gabon, Mâba grew up in France. After moving to the United States, Mâba enrolled at Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore for his senior year. He quickly became a sought-after recruit, but signed with Independence Community College due to academic transcript issues.
After two years at Independence, Mâba transferred to Auburn, where he played one year, then spent two years at Purdue, before finishing his college career at SMU. During his final college season for the Mustangs, Mâba recorded 42 tackles, including 7.5 for loss and five sacks. He went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, and signed with the Commanders.
A player with Mâbaâs size and athleticism shouldâve gone in the draft. He didnât because of his age. Heâs 27. That makes him a player to watch this summer for Washington.
âI think the first part of it, man, is, letâs get the fundamentals down,â said Quinn. âThe two inside linebacker spots have similarities, but thereâs also some nuances. During the course of the spring and training camp, weâll work him and some other guys at both of the spots.
âThereâs a lot that he can do, and like all the players, we are going to try to do the best we can to put them in a spot, to really allow them to do their thing, you know, at full speed, [and] at a high level. A lot of times, that takes all the way in through camp, as well.â
It makes total sense to have Styles learn both inside linebacker spots. That would make him even more of an asset to the defense and would allow him to stay on the field for 100% of snaps, which is what a lot of top linebackers play.
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Kaytron Allen LOOKS NASTY At Washington Commanders Rookie Minicamp
With the draft capital received in the trade, the Dallas Cowboys were able to add Caleb Downs with their own pick. Then they flipped the Green Bay pick into a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles that moved the Cowboys down three picks in the first-round.
Included in the trade were two fourth-round picks.
The pick, now at 23, turned into Malachi Lawrence, while the two fourths turned into Devin Moore and LT Overton.
Green Bay may have got the better player, but Dallas turned Micah Parson into Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams, Malachi Lawrence, Devin Moore, and LT Overton.
Several players to fill several positions, over one player who would have killed the cap and made it nearly impossible for those players to be Dallas Cowboys.
The Chargers agreed to terms with former Browns tight end David Njoku on a one-year deal worth up to $8 million, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per sources informed of the pact.
Njoku met with the club earlier this month following the 2026 NFL Draft.
A first-round pick in 2017, Njoku spent nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns, generating 4,062 yards with 34 touchdowns, earning a Pro Bowl in 2023. Dealing with injuries and inconsistent passers during his time in Cleveland, Njoku never reached the highs his first-round status suggested. His career highs topped out at 882 yards and six scores in 2023. In 2025, Njoku generated 293 yards and four scores in 12 games, and was passed by rookie Harold Fannin Jr.
As football fans anxiously await Thursdayâs release of the full NFL 2026 regular-season schedule, itâs sometimes forgotten that we already know each teamâs schedule for 2026.
Sort of.
The NFLâs schedule release day is a big deal for many reasons. Fans can set their calendars and make their travel plans, knowing exactly when their team is playing. They can also map out advantages and disadvantages, such as playing a team like the Kansas City Chiefs early in the season when Patrick Mahomes might still be getting back to full speed after his ACL tear. For players and coaches, there is strong interest in knowing where long homestands and road trips fall, as well as when they get the bye week.
But the opponents have been set in stone since the end of the last regular season. The league has a fairly simple formula that makes it easy to track not only the 17 opponents for each team, but also which opponents will be at home and on the road.
Six games against divisional opponents
The most consistent part of any teamâs schedule is that they play each of the other three teams in their division two times, once at home and once on the road.
Four games against one division in the same conference
Each year, all four teams from one division are assigned to play another division in the same conference. For example, this year, the NFC East is scheduled to play against the NFC West.
Four games against one division in the opposite conference
Similar logic applies to this set of games as with the section above. Given that there are four divisions to rotate through in the opposite conference as opposed to three in the same conference, these matchups are typically rarer.
This season, the NFC East plays the AFC South.
Two games against teams from the other two divisions in the same conference
In terms of inter-conference games, itâs already been outlined that teams play six games within their own division and four against another division. They also play one team from each of the other two divisions in their own conference, playing the teams that finished in the same place in the standings as they did the previous year.
[This season, the Commanders will play the Vikings and the Falcons, who finished 3rd in the NFC North & South divisions, respectively.]
The 17th game
The NFL added a 17th game to the schedule in 2021. For this game, each team plays another team from the opposite conference in a division they are not already scheduled to play.
NFC East faces the AFC North [so, Washington plays Indianapolis].
