The Washington Commanders made up for their lack of early picks on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, making four selections in the final three rounds. That included two picks in the sixth, and one of them figures to be a quick fan-favorite.
That would be running back Kaytron Allen, who Washington selected at No. 187 overall. The Penn State product will join a backfield consisting of Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, Jeremy McNichols, and Jerome Ford. It's crowded, but this is all part of Adam Peters' plan to raise competition across the board.
Allen also has a cool nickname that should quickly endear him to Commanders fans. He is "Fatman."
Kaytron Allen has all the makings of a Commanders' late-round cult hero
Remember a while ago when Washington had "Fat Rob" Robert Kelley, the power back who led the team in rushing yards as an undrafted rookie in 2016? Now the Commanders have "Fatman," and his moniker originates all the way back to when he was fresh out of the womb.
The only quote that matters from the 2026 draft, courtesy of Commanders 6th-rd. RB Kaytron Allen:
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) April 26, 2026
“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.”
True to his nickname, Allen is a ground-pounding force who relies on his dominant physical stature to drag defenders along for extra yardage. He is the Chris Rodriguez Jr. replacement in Washington's backfield, and figures to compete for a significant role from the get-go.
With the Nittany Lions, Allen averaged more than 1,000 rushing yards per season in four years, with a high of 1,303 as a senior. His 15-touchdown campaign was good enough to earn second-team All-American honors, and he is the school's all-time leading rusher.
Based on his college production alone, he seems like an absolute steal in the sixth round. Allen's nickname just makes him even more fun.
If Allen ends up panning out in the NFL, it will be fascinating to see if a dynamic emerges between him and Croskey-Merritt, an even later pick a season ago. Much like the Detroit Lions' pairing of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, prior to the latter's trade this offseason, as "Sonic and Knuckles," the two of them might even need a shared nickname.
"Jacory and the Fatman" has already been suggested by some fans, a play on the late 1980s TV drama "Jake and the Fatman." "Fatman and Little Bill" could work, a nod to both the origin of Croskey-Merritt's chosen namesake as well as the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan in World War II. Or, perhaps last year's seventh-round pick should start going by Robin.
Regardless, it's already clear that all of Washington is rooting for Allen. Now let's find out what "Fatman" is made of.
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