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The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Penn State quarterback Drew Allar with the 76th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Friday. He was the fourth quarterback selected.

Physically, Allar has the ideal blend of size, athleticism and arm talent to be an NFL starter. As a football player, however, Allar’s evaluation is more complicated.

A 2022 five-star recruit, Allar threw for a combined 5,958 yards, 49 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions during his first two seasons as a full-time starter in Happy Valley (2023-24), and he helped push Penn State into the College Football Playoff as a junior. As a senior in 2025, though, Allar struggled with consistency and decision-making through Penn State’s first six games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in October.

But while Allar’s tape shows flashes of terrific arm talent, the QB’s inconsistent footwork, accuracy and comfort in the pocket as a passer remain major concerns. The NFL is not a developmental league, so Allar will have to turn several corners — and do so quickly — to reach his full potential as a player and possible full-time starter.

‘The Beast’ breakdown

Allar ranked No. 106 in Dane Brugler’s top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:

“With rare size for a QB, Allar can drive the ball with ease and generally makes sound decisions, although issues pop up when he is late to pull the trigger. He tends to get overly conservative with his reads, which leads to second-guessing, and needs more reps to continue developing his passing instincts (didn’t start playing quarterback until high school). He is better than expected as a scrambler (81 first downs as a ball carrier over 35 career starts).

“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.”

Nick Baumgardner grades the pick

Allar is absolutely intriguing as a 6-foot-5, 228-pounder with terrific arm talent and above-average mobility. He has every tool in the shed. He was never consistent with his feet or in big moments during his run at Penn State, though, making him a boom-or-bust prospect. I think Allar has a higher ceiling than Will Howard, a sixth-round pick of the Steelers last year. Grade: B

Mike Sando’s assessment

The Steelers’ third-round selection of Allar is notable for the quarterback’s traits: 6-foot-5, 228 pounds. New Steelers coach Mike McCarthy likes bigger QBs who can generally operate better in the cold and outdoor weather. He had Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, guys with big hands. Allar has large hands, measuring nearly 10 inches from thumb to pinkie with hand fanned out on a flat surface.

How he fits

McCarthy made his intentions known at the annual league meetings in Arizona when he said he wanted a quarterback with long arms and big hands “at the right time.” Turns out, the right time — after another one of the Steelers’ targets, Carson Beck, was drafted — was with the first of the Steelers’ three picks in the third round. While McCarthy said in Arizona that sometimes he gets more excited about a QB’s floor, Allar is the high-ceiling QB who has yet to reach his potential. The Steelers have now handed McCarthy a QB with unique tools who has yet to put it together. The Penn State product arrives with 6-5, 228-pound size and a nearly 10-inch hand that helps him drive the ball effortlessly. Quarterbacks coach Tom Arth raved about Allar’s strong arm, but he acknowledged his footwork and processing need work.— Mike DeFabo, Steelers beat writer

Depth-chart impact

Let the Will Howard versus Drew Allar competition begin. The Steelers have created a unique dynamic in their QB room with a pair of young former Big Ten passers. No matter whether Aaron Rodgers re-signs with the Steelers or not, Howard and Allar are now in a battle that will likely play out over multiple years. In the immediate future, that’s likely for the QB2 job. In the intermediate term, one of the two passers will try to prove that the Steelers do not, in fact, need to trade up to land a first-round QB in 2027. Long term, can one become the future of the franchise?— DeFabo

They also could have picked

A number of guards were still on the board, including Emmanuel Pregnon and Gennings Dunker (they landed Dunker at the end of the night anyway). The Steelers also could have selected corner Jermod McCoy, who was falling due to his medicals, defensive tackle Domonique Orange or a safety such as A.J. Haulcy, Zakee Wheatley or Keionte Scott.— DeFabo

Fast evaluation

The Steelers found themselves looking for a new head coach, in part, because of their inability to identify, draft and develop a successor to Ben Roethlisberger. They hired McCarthy because of his resume working with Hall of Fame passers. Now, just months into the job, McCarthy is making a bet on himself. Allar has some of the best physical traits in this QB class. He has a lot to clean up, though. It’s the perfect canvas and measuring stick to evaluate the new head coach. — DeFabo