The Washington Commanders seem committed to a running back by committee approach in 2026. That’s a far cry from 2025, when they were forced to rely almost solely on 7th-round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
While Croskey-Merritt — better known by his nickname of “Bill” — performed admirably and led the team with 805 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns, he did little to prove he could be a 1-man show at the position.
That’s why the Commanders have gone all-in at the position this offseason to build depth, and The Athletic listed 1 of Washington’s 6th-round draft picks, Penn State running back Kaytron Allen, as one of its “favorite picks” in the entire 2026 NFL draft.
“First-rounder Sonny Styles is the star of Washington’s draft class and will undoubtedly upgrade a defense that needed a leader and playmaker like him,” The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala wrote. “But my favorite Commanders selection was Allen, a durable and powerful runner with good vision and one of the finest nicknames in sports. As he explained: ‘I was a fat baby and everybody in the town called me Fatman. Hopefully, I keep it going in Washington and they call me Fatman and, you know, when I score all you hear is Fatman.’ Yep, the Commanders’ rushing corps will be led by ‘Bill’ and ‘Fatman.’ Giddy up.”
Kaytron Put Up Big-Time Numbers at Penn State
Allen, 5-foot-11 and 216 pounds, was a 4-star recruit out of IMG Academy in the Class of 2022.
At Penn State, Allen was a stats-producing machine from the moment he stepped on campus. In 4 seasons, he became the 1st player in school history to crack 4,000 career rushing yards and scored 43 total touchdowns.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected Allen as a 5th-round pick and compared him to Arizona Cardinals running back Tyler Allgeier, who rushed for over 1,000 yards as a rookie for the Atlanta Falcons in 2022.
“Allen is productive with good size and vision but below-average explosiveness,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s a fluid runner with ideal patience and a natural feel for when to cut off his blocks. He runs low to the ground with the strength to run through arm tackles and fall forward after contact. A feel for lane development allows him to fit any run scheme, but his lack of burst is likely to constrict the field and limit his ability to find explosive runs. Allen appears to lack third-down and special-teams value, but he could earn a spot as a solid backup.”
Commanders Signed 2 Running Backs in Free Agency
Allen is 1 of 3 new running backs added to the Commanders’ roster since the end of a disheartening 2025 season in which the franchise entered the year as Super Bowl contenders and came out the other side with a 5-12 record.
“Signing veterans Rachaad White and Jerome Ford to short-term deals in free agency hardly inspired confidence about Washington’s running game,” Heavy’s James Dudko wrote. “Nor did retaining useful veteran third-down type Jeremy McNichols. What was missing was a true workhorse. Somebody capable of carrying the ball 25 times and grinding out the tough yards in the event Croskey-Merritt is not available.”
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