New Steelers Quarterback Drew Allar Lacks 1 Critical Trait

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a selection on night two of the 2026 NFL Draft that came as a shock to many. With their 76th overall selection in the third round, the organization took quarterback Drew Allar from Penn State. The shocking part was not Pittsburgh selecting a quarterback, rather how high he was selected by the franchise. It was always possible they were going to take a quarterback, but many felt it would come in the later rounds of the draft. With Allar, he does have the look of an NFL quarterback, but he lacks one trait at the position.

Following the pick, Ray Fittipaldo and Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discussed the selection on the North Shore Drive podcast. The trait that Allar seemingly lacks is the clutch gene, particularly his inability to rise to the occasion in the biggest of games. It hindered Penn State's success during his time there in college, and Dulac discussed that following the selection.

"We heard Tom Arth, quarterback coach, say today they think Drew Allar has a high ceiling," Dulac said. "The knock against Drew Allar, he has all the measurables, of course, the size, the arm strength, decent mobility, knows how to escape the pocket. But man, Ray, in big games, he does not play well. He's one and seven in his career against top 10 opponents, and that was a knock against him at Penn State."

Allar truly came onto the scene at Penn State as a sophomore in 2023, throwing for 2,631 yards on 25 touchdowns to just two interceptions. In 2024, Allar threw for 3,327 yards with 24 touchdowns to eight interceptions. However, when playing the best teams, Allar buckled in the clutch moments. In that 2024 season, Allar led Penn State to the College Football Playoff Semifinal. Once they arrived there against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Allar came up short again.

Penn State had a chance to get to the National Championship towards the end of that tilt against Notre Dame. However, late in the game, Allar threw a crucial interception that set up Notre Dame for the game-winning field goal. Allar admitted himself after the game that on the pass in which he threw that game-changing interception he should have thrown the ball away.

While many believe the pick of Allar may have been a bit early, he does have the physical traits of an NFL quarterback. He was a highly touted five-star prospect out of Medina, Ohio in the 2022 high school class. Allar did have a solid college career and made some plays that showed flashes of his real potential at the quarterback position, but fans and pundits around the country wanted him to be more consistent. He is very coachable however, and can absolutely blossom into an NFL-ready quarterback.

Steelers Have Chance To Rejuvenate Allar's Career

When new head coach Mike McCarthy was hired, his background of coaching great NFL quarterbacks was mentioned. He has coached Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre, and Joe Montana throughout his career. McCarthy also mentioned how much he likes what he sees in Will Howard and his potential to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. While it is believed Rodgers will return to the Steel City for one more year, this gives the team options in 2027 and beyond.

Allar's 6-foot-5 frame already gives him an advantage coming into the NFL. One thing you cannot coach is size, and Allar has that size needed to be successful at the pro level. While it may have been a reach for the organization to select Allar in the third round, McCarthy's history around quarterbacks should justify their decision in doing so.

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