Drew Allar's best NFL fits: Where Penn State QB could land in NFL draft

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Drew Allar's best NFL fits: Where Penn State QB could land in NFL draft

Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Wed, Mar 18, 2026 ·

6 min read

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NFL fans may be feeling some déjà vu with this year's draft class, especially at quarterback.

As in 2025, there's one clear prospect who will be the first player selected in the 2026 NFL Draft : Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Heisman Trophy winner and national champion is set to be the Las Vegas Raiders ' second-ever No. 1 overall pick, the first since JaMarcus Russell in 2007.

After that, things get a bit murky at the quarterback position.

Alabama's Ty Simpson is widely considered the second-best quarterback prospect in the class but he's not alone as another option after Mendoza.

NFL combine QB grades: Ty Simpson, Garrett Nussmeier improve NFL draft stock

Penn State's Drew Allar would've likely been a first-round pick in 2025. A season-ending ankle injury amid a disappointing year for the Nittany Lions last fall dropped his stock from those heights ahead of this year's draft.

He's doing his best to change that narrative ahead of the NFL Draft in April. Allar showed off his strong arm and mobility again today during Penn State's Pro Day.

He also had a solid performance at the NFL combine in February, displaying his arm strength and overall tools but revealing inconsistent footwork and mechanics.

Still, Allar drew comparisons to Josh Allen early in his career for good reason. He has ideal size at 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds and can make any throw an offensive playcaller could want. During his pro day, he hit Trebor Peña in stride for a deep shot that likely has fans of quarterback-needy teams excited at his possibilities.

With any quarterback prospect, where he lands in the NFL matters immensely. Here are four of the best fits in the NFL for Allar:

Drew Allar's best NFL fits

Los Angeles Rams

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford just won his first NFL MVP in 2025 and the offense was one of the most dangerous units in the league last season. But Stafford is entering his age-38 season and there were questions less than a year ago about his health. Los Angeles would do well to plan for the future of the position sooner rather than later.

Coach Sean McVay hasn't had a young quarterback to mold from his rookie season onward. There's a chance he's uninterested and would rather look for a veteran option around the league instead. If not, Allar's nearly a perfect succession plan. His arm strength isn't too far off from Stafford's and with time and development, McVay wouldn't have to drastically reshape the offense.

Los Angeles wouldn't have to use its first-round pick on him, so there's a very low risk in the opportunity cost. They could save that top-15 selection for a more pressing need or a premium talent in the class. A selection late in Round 2 or 3 could make some sense.

New York Jets

This option isn't quite as exciting as the Rams, but it would give Allar a better chance at starting sooner than later. New York acquired Geno Smith via trade and he looks set to be the starter in his age-36 season.

The Jets are trying to balance two outcomes in 2026: be more competent than in 2025 without losing out on one of the top passers of the 2027 NFL Draft class , which looks to be exponentially better than the 2026 or 2025 classes. Smith may bring them competence to the point where Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey keep their jobs another year. Allar could be an insurance policy in case they're good enough to pick outside of the top five in the 2027 NFL Draft which could have at least three top quarterbacks (Julian Sayin, Dante Moore , Arch Manning ).

A concern would be Smith continues to bottom out as he did in 2025, which forces Allar to be pushed in faster than hoped, which hurts his development. That would be a move for the offense to get a spark under Frank Reich, who bottomed out in Carolina with a rookie quarterback in Bryce Young .

2027 NFL DRAFT QB RANKINGS: Where do Arch Manning, Julian Sayin fall?

Carolina Panthers

Speaking of Carolina, the Panthers spent big on defense to raise the floor of the team as a whole. They also shored up left tackle with Rasheed Walker , given Ikem Ekwonu 's serious injury. There's a good chance they'll go offense again in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, as they did in 2025 with wideout Tetairoa McMillan , and continue to build out the skill position group.

Eventually, the Panthers have to decide on Young. He showed a lot of improvement in 2025 but his playing style could ultimately limit the offense. Carolina could be faced with a tough decision after a good-but-not-great 2026 season: pay a premium for certainty or enter the quarterback wilderness.

Allar would be a potential off-ramp for the franchise. He is about as different a physical skillset as it gets from Young and coach Dave Canales has shown a penchant for improving quarterbacks in Carolina, Tampa Bay and Seattle . Young could have a good enough season to show he is the future for a team looking to build on a surprise NFC South title. He just as likely could not and Carolina would be stuck in an unenviable position.

Pittsburgh Steelers

If NFL fans have déjà vu about this class and Aaron Rodgers would have some about his team picking a raw but very talented quarterback in the NFL draft. Jordan Love was that successor chosen in 2020 in Green Bay; Allar could be the latest version of that movie.

Rodgers hasn't officially committed to the Steelers for 2026 but most expect him to at some point this offseason. He'll turn 43 in December, so he's hardly the future at the position.

Allar's potential fit in Pittsburgh depends on who wins out decision-wise between the coaching staff led by new head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Omar Khan. McCarthy could want a different Day 2 quarterback than Allar. LSU's Garrett Nussmeier immediately comes to mind because of his family connection with McCarthy (his father Doug worked under McCarthy with the Cowboys), as well as his good timing and accuracy when healthy. That's more akin to what McCarthy had with Dak Prescott for years in Dallas .

But Khan drafted Will Howard last year, a big, mobile quarterback prospect. Allar is much more in Howard's mold but with far better traits and a much higher ceiling. He's also somewhat familiar with the area after his four years in Happy Valley, just a couple of hours east of Pittsburgh.