Penn State QB Emerges as a Top Choice for the Steelers in the Late Rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft
On April 15th, 2026, the Pittsburgh Steelers concluded their pre-draft visits by hosting Drew Allar, a former Penn State quarterback and their fourth top-30 quarterback visitor after Carson Beck, Cole Payton, and Taylen Green. Allar’s Penn State career ended after a broken ankle in his sixth senior season game, played October 11th against Northwestern. Over four years, the Big Ten Honorable Mention passed for 7,402 yards, 61 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, completing 63.2% of passes and rushing for 732 yards and 12 touchdowns. Although Pittsburgh may draft a wide receiver in the first round, such as USC’s Makai Lemon, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes the six-foot-five quarterback could stay in Pennsylvania as the team’s best available selection.
Of the 33 players the Steelers have hosted, only five have first-round grades from analysts; none are the four quarterbacks. Pittsburgh enters the 2026 NFL Draft, held in the Steel City, with 12 picks, including three third-rounders. As they await Aaron Rodgers' decision, potential backup options have disappeared: Kirk Cousins signed with the Raiders on April 2nd, and Kyler Murray joined the Vikings on March 12th. The 2026 draft is considered weak, especially at quarterback, with only Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza viewed as a clear first-rounder. This could benefit Pittsburgh, which could bring Allar in to compete with current backup Will Howard, regardless of Rodgers' choice. Batko states, “Does he have that it factor, and pocket presence? Some guys either have it or they don’t. I think you can develop it to an extent, and I’d take a chance on developing it in Drew Allar.” Batko adds that Payton and Green have development potential, but he would "rank Allar first among them."
We’ve heard from analysts that Howard, the former National Champion, has taken a lot from Rodgers' game and truly believes in him as a mentor and great team player. A big issue Howard had was his interception numbers, throwing 10 in three of his five seasons, and averaging 0.7 interceptions per game during his entire career. Allar could be in a similar position, as he is seen as not quite NFL-ready. He looks for the big play, rather than taking what is given to him; he lacks situational awareness, especially in big moments, and he has underdeveloped mechanics that could lead to reduced accuracy. As the Steelers look to lure Rodgers back in for one more season, they have a perfect opportunity to select Allar, Payton, or Green in the third or fourth round and have yet another quarterback learn from the four-time MVP and Super Bowl Champion. You cannot ask for better physicals from a college quarterback, as Allar’s six-foot-five, 238-pound frame, combined with a 40-yard-dash time of 4.90 seconds, makes him appear very similar to Ben Roethlisberger, who manned the ship in Pittsburgh for 18 seasons, winning two Super Bowls for the storied franchise. The Steelers don’t need to do anything flashy or risky with the 2026 quarterback class, as they still have the potential to keep the Penn State quarterback in Pennsylvania.
