Penn State quarterback Drew Allar is one of the most polarizing prospects in the 2026 NFL draft, which is now just a couple weeks away from kicking off in Pittsburgh.
Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza will be the first quarterback off the board when the Raiders take him No. 1 overall. But beyond Mendoza, there’s differing opinions about QB2.
Most have Alabama’s Ty Simpson in that spot. But some are drawn to Allar, the big-armed Nittany Lion who went from a projected first-rounder to a lightning rod for discussion.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler spoke to a wide range of NFL executives and coaches for an in-depth look at the most polarizing prospects in the draft. And Allar was featured.
“He’s my favorite quarterback in the draft outside of Mendoza,” an NFL coordinator told Fowler, who afforded anonymity for the piece. “In the right system, he can be great. He’s got everything as far as tools. His footwork is an absolute mess. But improve his footwork and he can take off. He deserved better than what he got at Penn State.”
That’s a lot to unpack.
First of all, former Penn State coach James Franklin and his staff caught some heat at the end there, implying Allar wasn’t properly developed.
That’s not necessarily a surprise. The biggest knock on Allar during the pre-draft process, outside of his big-game decision-making, has been his messy mechanics.
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Allar’s pocket awareness was good with Penn State. But if his footwork and decision-making were better, maybe he would be a first-round prospect like many thought he’d be entering the 2025 season.
Allar’s stock is also dinged by the fact that he fractured his ankle halfway through his final season and spent the following months rehabbing.
The rest of the quote in Fowler’s piece, though, confirms what many who have watched Allar over the years know to be true: he has all the tools to become a starter in the NFL.
Allar has the size at 6-foot-5, 228 pounds. He has the cannon arm, even though Penn State didn’t utilize it all that often. He’s intelligent. And he has experience (35 starts).
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has Allar pegged as a third or fourth-round pick and the QB4 in the class behind Mendoza, Simpson and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier.
But as Fowler’s piece highlighted, teams might view Allar as the QB2 in this group — and someone worth taking as early as the second round in a couple weekends.