One of the reasons the 2026 quarterback class did not deliver on its advanced hype: Drew Allar suffered a season-ending ankle injury came after he had failed to reestablish his draft status. The Penn State product is not expected to be taken in Rounds 1 or 2.
But he almost definitely will be chosen next week, though it is not known who will be the third quarterback off the board in this year’s draft. The Cardinals are being given the best odds (by a slim margin) of drafting Ty Simpson, a move that would either involve Arizona’s No. 34 overall pick or a trade-up from that spot. But they are continuing to do work on lower-profile QBs. Allar is meeting with the NFC West team today, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.
[RELATED: Allar Makes New York Visit]
An October ankle injury brought an abrupt end to Allar’s senior season. His performances up to that point had left plenty to be desired, something which wound up being true in 2025 of many signal-callers. When Allar went down, he was averaging just 6.9 yards per attempt. Although he posted a 25:2 TD-INT ratio as a sophomore in 2023, a 6.8-yard average and 59.9% completion rate accompanied it. Allar improved on his completion percentage and Y/A numbers in 2024, submitting 66.5 and 8.4 figures in those categories, but his stock dropped over the course of his college career.
ESPN’s Scouts Inc. ranks Allar 129th overall and fifth among QBs — behind Fernando Mendoza, Simpson, Garrett Nussmeier and Carson Beck — while The Athletic’s Dane Brugler slots the Cleveland-area native fourth at the position. Allar, 22, profiles as a player who will likely slot in as a developmental option in 2026. With Kirk Cousins on the Raiders, it is likely no 2026 QB draftee will be a Week 1 starter. The Cards’ third- and fourth-round draft slots come in at 65th and 104th; their Round 5 choice arrives at No. 143.
The Cardinals have two bridge options in Gardner Minshew and Jacoby Brissett. The latter would make sense as a trade candidate given his ties to the previous offensive staff (Drew Petzing coached him in Cleveland and Arizona), while Minshew joined to work with Mike LaFleur. I mentioned in the latest Trade Rumors Front Office piece how Monti Ossenfort‘s early GM work (15-36 through three seasons) would stand to leave him on shaky ground. It may not be a lock the GM remains in place for 2027, raising the stakes for his fourth Cardinals draft. After all, Ossenfort has not identified his own franchise-QB hopeful yet after keeping Steve Keim-era draftee/extension recipient Kyler Murray for three years.
While the Cards gave Keim and predecessor Rod Graves 10 years apiece in the GM position, Arizona struggling again in 2026 would certainly warm Ossenfort’s seat. Allar would seem more of a dart throw compared to Simpson, who would represent a true investment in the position, though the Cards eyeing the 2027 draft — where a more fruitful QB crop likely awaits — would make sense as well. Allar would allow the Cards to play both sides of the fence there.
Already we’re being told ‘Next year’s QB class is going to be awesome!’ by everyone. Funny how things change over the course of a season.
They say it every year it has become a joke now. They hype up the next class because they barely watched, once they watch they are like “Oh…uhh next year is going to be better”
I’d take Aller in the fifth round of he’s still there if I’m the Raiders. It’s like to handcuff a RB in fantasy football. Worked ok for the niners
Nah 5th for cardinals makes sense.
He’s a day 3 development piece who can sit behind Minshew and Brissett