Now that the Panthers have officially entered their offseason, we look ahead toward the 2026 NFL Draft. This weekly series will take a closer look at some of the prospects the Carolina Panthers
could select in the 2026 iteration of the Draft. In this series, we’ll only be looking at prospects the Panthers could seriously consider. This week our profile will focus on Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar.Bio
Allar entered Penn State as a prototypical modern day passer. He has the size and arm
talent that teams covet, and he showed that his first year as a starter his true sophomore season. Allar started his career with 311 pass attempts without an interception. He continued to improve through the 2024 season as well, finishing with 3,327 passing yards and 24 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. Unfortunately for Allar, his start to the 2025 was not up to his normal standards, leading to some questions about his future prospects. An ankle injury ended his season after just seven weeks, leading to surgery and a long recovery period, further impacting his draft stock. This former sure-fire first round pick will now be battling to get taken on Day 2 of the Draft.
Strengths/Weaknesses
Allar’s 6’5”, 235 lbs frame is exactly what NFL evaluators want in a signal caller. He has a quick release and is still able to put a ton of velocity on his throws to all levels of the field. While his ball security isn’t quite on the same level as his record-breaking sophomore season, he still takes care of the football rather well while still attacking downfield. He has shown the ability to work through progressions and has a feel for coverages and windows. Allar also has the athleticism to extend plays, even showing a willingness to take shots while delivering throws under pressure.
Under pressure, though, he also tends to lose his mechanics a bit. As with most quarterbacks, inconsistent mechanics means inconsistent accuracy, especially in the intermediate range. He also needs to trust his gut a little more and throw with more anticipation. Sometimes Allar waits until a player flashes open to throw the ball, which will lead to those windows slamming shut at the next level.
Projection
Allar’s fall from no doubt top five pick to potentially a Day 3 selection has been precipitous. Still, I’m sure league execs are salivating over the potential. If he can show up at his pro day and pass all the physicals, maybe move around a bit, make a couple throws, he could greatly improve his draft stock in a draft that is weak at the top for the quarterback position. Whether it be Day 2 or Day 3, Allar is likely a developmental prospect at this point while the team that drafts him works on his mechanics and getting him back to 100% healthy.
After a great overall showing from Bryce Young in the playoffs, the Panthers will absolutely start him in the 2026 season barring injury. Allar would provide the Panthers with an intriguing potential backup for Young while also giving Bryce some competition down the road if needed. Even the Bryce Young stans would have to admit that Drew Allar living up to that five star potential would be hard to pass up as a starter in this league.
What do you think, Panthers fans? If Drew Allar is available when the Panthers select in the 2026 NFL Draft, should they take him? Sound off in the comments!
