Where will Drew Allar be drafted? What scouting reports say about 2026 NFL Draft chances

Where will Drew Allar be drafted? What scouting reports say about 2026 NFL Draft chances originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Heading into the 2025 college football season, Drew Allar was one of the many quarterbacks in the dicussion for the first round of the 2026 NFL draft.

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Allar’s season ended abruptly as he suffered a broken ankle in his sixth game of the year, however, and his draft projection became a bit of an unknown because of it. The senior quarterback came back to Penn State in hopes of competing for a National Championship, but his injury ended the Nittany Lions chances of making a deep postseason run.

These days, Allar is one of many quarterbacks vying for the right to get drafted in the middle of the draft, as there isn’t a consensus quarterback ranking behind Fernando Mendoza. While Allar’s health will play a role in where he goes, his talent is arguably worth a chance for some quarterback-needy teams.

Here’s a look at where draft analysts think Allar will go in the draft.

MORE:Sporting News’ complete 7-round mock draft

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For most of his time at Penn State, Drew Allar was considered a possible first-round pick. The quarterback has a prototypical build, as he’s listed at just over 6-foot-5, and he has a strong arm with limited mobility from the pocket.

Allar suffered a season-ending injury in October, which will certainly impact where he goes during the NFL draft. Not only did Allar not have the opportunity to prove his value at the end of the year, teams now have to account for his recovery from surgery on a broken left ankle.

When healthy, Allar was a productive player for the Nittany Lions. In 2023 and 2024, Allar produced 49 passing touchdowns and 5,958 passing yards, all while throwing just 10 interceptions in 29 games. Still, Allar never developed to the level of a first-round quarterback

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A weaker quarterback class makes it possible that Allar is still the third or fourth quarterback off the board. Teams will look at Allar as a player whose upside outweighs his draft spot, and Allar could get the benefit of the doubt of teams believing they can develop him better than Penn State did.

This is how three prominent draft analysts have evaluated Allar.

Allar looks the part with prototypical size and an effortless arm that can make any NFL throw. However, inconsistent touch and ball placement are a major hindrance. In big moments and big games, he hasn’t proven he can rise to the occasion or sustain efficiency. The stats looked good in a conservative offense as a sophomore, but his play became more erratic once the playbook was opened up and more responsibility was put on his plate. He can be slow to process and get to his best option. He also struggles to adjust his pre-snap plan to fit the coverage. It’s worth noting Allar’s receivers struggled to win man-coverage matchups for him. Against zone, he makes anticipatory throws and beats coverage at an adequate clip. Mechanical fixes are possible, but confidence, poise and recognition must be the foundation of any rebound. Allar projects as an average backup with high-end traits.

–Lance Zerlein, NFL.com

The high-end comparison is Joe Flacco—similar size and arm talent, though Flacco entered the league with better mobility. A team drafting Allar would be betting on improved ball placement at the next level. Lower—zend comparisons include Drew Lock and Byron Leftwich—quarterbacks with good tools who struggled to consistently put it all together at the next level.

–Todd McShay, The Ringer

Allar is a sturdy, strong-armed passer with promising intangibles, but underdeveloped timing disrupts his ability to execute at a high level. He has NFL starting-caliber physical tools, although a lack of natural passing rhythm creates uncertainty about his developmental ceiling.

–Dane Brugler, The Athletic

Here’s a look at where some mock drafts have Allar going:

MORE: A complete order of all 257 picks in the 2026 draft