Drew Allar has two highly limited practices of Steelers football under his belt. But he did do one thing to impress onlookers. The rookie third-round quarterback served as the only arm during the two-day camp, responsible for every single rep. And in that work, he evidently looked like a legitimate thrower of the football. You know, that thing that is the main job of a quarterback.
“You have to be very careful (as media and fans) to read anything into rookie minicamp”, beat writer Mark Kaboly wrote on X following yesterday’s practice, the only one open to the media. “HOWEVER, there is no denying how well Drew Allar spins it. Not debatable. Can’t argue with me so don’t try”.
You have to be very careful (as media and fans) to read anything into rookie minicamp. HOWEVER, there is no denying how well Drew Allar spins it. Not debatable. Can't argue with me so don't try.
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) May 10, 2026
a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Drew Allar is the Steelers’ latest attempt to unearth a franchise quarterback. He is the fourth they have drafted since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement, and the second earlier than the sixth round. Of course, the first one they tried was Kenny Pickett, a 2022 first-round pick, which didn’t work out so well.
In terms of talent, Allar is clearly ahead of Pickett, but the latter had a better college career. Allar ended his final collegiate season injured, but he didn’t have the sort of career an eventual franchise quarterback typically would. With that in mind, his former college coaches have argued that they did him no favors with their system.
Now, if the Steelers believed that all Drew Allar needed was their system, they would have drafted him in the first round. Nobody did, though, nor did anybody draft him in the second around. He has the look of a franchise quarterback, and the arm, perhaps, but he had enough questions to fall outside the top 75 selections. Ultimately, three quarterbacks went ahead of him: Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson, and Carson Beck. Pittsburgh heavily scouted both Simpson and Beck, though probably didn’t bother with Mendoza, the first-overall selection.
Of course, Drew Allar’s ability to throw the football was never in question. He has a better arm than any quarterback they’ve drafted in a while, which is why he even went as early in the draft as he did. It certainly wasn’t because of the way his Penn State career went, but rather because of the tools he brings to the table.
Having the tools, however, is an important first step, and Allar verified that he has that. That’s what McCarthy wanted to see from him this weekend, and he got what he wanted. That’s all we can read into it at this point. But it’s also important to keep in mind that he may have the tools to dominate a practice when assessing his performance. How he performs in a game will be much more indicative of where he needs to be.
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