It doesn’t feel like it was all that long ago when some legitimately wondered if Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar could eventually emerge as the first overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Now, Allar is now trying to prove his worth to interested teams coming off the fractured ankle he suffered this past October.
After completing a scripted pro-day workout in front of NFL scouts and position coaches on Wednesday, Allar seemed to send a message to clubs that almost certainly will pass on him at least once next month.
Was Drew Allar able to grow while not finishing college career as an active player?
“I’m a competitor,” Allar said, per Zac Jackson of The Athletic. “Whenever there’s a chance to throw, I’m gonna throw. I’d do it seven days a week, and I’ve always been wired like that. Just trying to show off my work ethic through this whole rehab process. Obviously, there’s nothing ideal about what happened last year, but I took it as an opportunity to grow and make myself a better player both athletically and mechanically.”
When at his best at Penn State, Allar often looked like a can’t-miss NFL prospect who could one day become a franchise quarterback. However, there were also times when certain moments looked too big for the 22-year-old.
The perception currently exists that Fernando Mendoza of the Indiana Hoosiers is the only quarterback in this year’s draft class truly worthy of a first-round grade. On March 7, ESPN’s Jordan Reid referred to Allar as a “late Day 2, early Day 3” developmental prospect.
Drew Allar wants to find “a good situation” in the NFL
Allar seems to have no clear idea when he will be drafted or where he will land.
“Just taking it week by week with these visits and interviews and then the chips can fall where they may,” Allar added. “I don’t know what round or what pick or what team I’m going to. I just hope for the opportunity to go into a good situation and just compete, work to make myself better and hopefully contribute to winning.”
Ideally for Allar, a team with a veteran quarterback atop its depth chart will draft him and then stash him as a backup so he can learn about life in the NFL without taking meaningful snaps before at least September 2027 arrives. If such a scenario plays out, Allar could ultimately become all that many thought he’d be not too long ago.
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