Today was the final day for teams to host 2026 NFL Draft prospects for top 30 visits, where they can evaluate future draft picks with a final round of interviews and medical evaluations. On this last day, as the Steelers continue to anticipate a concrete plan for veteran Aaron Rodgers, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar made his way to Pittsburgh for a final visit, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
This isn’t any sort of pointed message directed at Rodgers. Allar is not one of the two quarterbacks in his draft class expected to go within the first two rounds. Fernando Mendoza will almost certainly be the top overall pick for the Raiders, and Ty Simpson could go anywhere from the mid-first to early second-round, a range in which the Steelers don’t seem to be willing to draft him. Allar is in a group of passers in the next tier, with fellow quarterbacks Carson Beck and Garrett Nussmeier. Some have also included Cade Klubnick in this group, as well.
Each prospect in that third tier has his own reason for not being up there with, at least, Simpson. Beck’s ceiling has been called into question, as has his ability to make something happen after plays break down. After a strong first year as a starter, Nussmeier, showed how much he can impact games in good and bad ways, and he saw himself benched with injury, as a result. Allar spent his career oozing with potential, showing glimpses of what he could develop into, but never was able to put it all together and find offensive success at a high level.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler perfectly encapsulated Allar’s outlook by calling him “polarizing” but with “upside.” Per Fowler, there are some in the league who believe that Allar “has a footwork issue that can be fixed” and that getting him into the “right place/system” will finally unlock the potential Allar harnesses. Scouts have noted an issue where sloppy footwork puts his feet out of sync with his eyes and can take accuracy and power away from his throws. He has room for improvement in other areas, as well, but it appears there’s an idea that fixing the footwork is the key to unlocking the rest.
If taken by Pittsburgh, Allar would join Mason Rudolph and Will Howard as likely backups in a quarterbacks room presumably led by the eventual re-signed starter, Rodgers. The Steelers haven’t had a ton of success developing quarterbacks since Ben Roethlisberger retired, but new head coach Mike McCarthy is much more experienced in the process than Mike Tomlin ever was, so who knows what’s to come in Pittsburgh in 2026.
I like that kid Carson Beck. The Steelers should do a double take on him. I think they got a home run if they were to draft him in the second or third round.
Beck’s arm isn’t what it was pre-surgery but I have to admit he was impressive at Miami late last season. Don’t know that he’s a starter in the making. Less sure about Allar. Just don’t see it with him. But that’s why they pay scouts.