Who took former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in the 2026 NFL Draft?

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar is going to Pittsburgh. The Steelers took him in Round 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft with the No. 75 overall selection. The former Nittany Lion, who has recovered from a broken left ankle that ended his final college season at the midway mark, will learn behind Aaron Rodgers, if he returns, to start his pro career. If not, he’ll battle WIll Howard to start.

Allar entered the draft process as a polarizing prospect. Some thought he would go sometime on Day 2 in Round 3. Others thought he might land in Rounds 4 or 5 on day four. Ultimately, the multi-year Penn State starter goes on the second day of this year’s pro selection process.

“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,” Dane Brugler writes in his The Beast draft guide for The Athletic. “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.”

More on former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar

Allar is the first Penn State passer to be drafted since Sean Clifford went in the fifth round to the Green Bay Packers back in 2023. He leaves the Lions as the program’s record holder in career completion percentage at 63.1 percent. He is also fourth in passing yards with 7,402, third in passing touchdowns with 61, and third in total touchdowns responsible for with 73.

Allar had many fine moments as a Nittany Lion. He never did get Penn State over the top and had some brutal moments, including a late interception in the team’s 2024 College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Notre Dame. But, all told, his career will probably look better down the road than it might now in the present moment.

A total of two Penn State players are now off the board in the NFL Draft. Allar joins guard Vega Ioane.