Mike Tannenbaum expresses concerns over Drew Allar ahead of 2026 NFL Draft

One of the most interesting quarterback prospects in next week’s NFL Draft has to be Penn State‘s Drew Allar. After entering the 2025 college football season as one of the top projected quarterbacks in the Draft, Allar is now projected to be selected in the fourth round by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein.

The Medina, Ohio, native led Penn State to the College Football Playoff in 2024, but struggled mightily in 2025. He failed to pass for more than 220 yards in any of his six games last season, before he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in a Week 7 loss to Northwestern.

Just six days until the First Round of the NFL Draft kicks off in Pittsburgh, former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum expressed concerns over Allar on ESPN’s Get Up. He, however, laid out the blueprint for a team to take a flier on the Nittany Lion in the middle rounds.

“He dealt with an injury and made mistakes at key times,” Tannenbaum said. “Again, someone’s going to look at Drew Allar’s character, his spring, and his upside and say ‘Hey, if we can eliminate the mistakes and get someone like that in the middle rounds with incredible upside,’ someone’s gonna take a shot at him.”

Drew Allar played in 45 games across four seasons at Penn State

Of the eligible quarterback prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft, Allar is one of the most experienced. Across his four-year tenure under former head coach James Franklin at Penn State, Allar played in 45 career games. In that span, he passed for 7,402 yards and 61 touchdowns with just 13 interceptions. He also added 732 rushing yards and 12 scores on the ground.

“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,” Zierlein wrote on NFL.com. “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.”

Allar looks to become the fourth Penn State quarterback selected in the NFL Draft in the 21st century, joining Christian Hackenberg (2016), Trace McSorley (2019), and Sean Clifford (2023).