Drew Allar showcased his physical traits at last month’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, leaving some evaluators believing he could quickly rise up draft boards in a league constantly searching for quarterback talent.
Not everyone is sold on the former Penn State signal-caller.
Longtime NFL analyst Greg Cosell, who has been part of NFL Films since 1984 and helped produce the long-running NFL Matchup series, recently joined Ross Tucker on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast to discuss the 2026 NFL Draft. During the conversation, Cosell shared his candid evaluation of the three-year Penn State starter.
“Drew Allar is one of the most frustrating guys for me. There’s no question,” Cosell said. “Look, you can pull out 20 throws a season and go, ‘God, this guy is unbelievable.’ But there are too many things that are problematic.”
Cosell’s concerns centered on how Allar performs when the pocket becomes unsettled.
“I think he needs a really clear picture. I think he needs a secure pocket to function,” Cosell said. “When the pocket gets a little dirtied and muddy, he plays fast both mentally and physically. I’m still not sure he sees it the way you need to see it, with the clarity and the speed you need. And if that’s the case in college, that’s only going to be exacerbated in the NFL.”
Cosell added that despite studying Allar extensively over the past several seasons, something about the quarterback’s game remains difficult to define.
“This is not an X’s and O’s point, but I’ve watched him for three years because I always thought he would come out early,” Cosell said. “There’s something missing. I feel like I can see certain things where I know something’s missing, but it goes beyond that. There’s something missing in his game that prevents him from playing to the level his really high-end traits suggest.”
Allar certainly showed flashes during his time at Penn State.
As a sophomore, he led the Big Ten Conference in touchdown passes with 25 and finished among the national leaders in touchdown-to-interception ratio. During his junior season, Allar helped guide Penn State to a program-record 13 wins in 2024.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Still, scouts continue to point to inconsistencies.
Allar finished just 2–7 as a starter against teams ranked or seeded in the Top 12, with his only victories coming against SMU Mustangs in the first round of the 2024–25 College Football Playoff (CFP) and against Boise State Broncos in the CFP Quarterfinal at the Fiesta Bowl.
Entering the 2025 season, many expected Allar to take a significant step forward. Penn State bolstered its receiving corps by adding transfers Devonte Ross (Troy), Trebor Pena (Syracuse), and Kyron Hudson (USC).
In 2024, according to Pro Football Focus, Allar recorded a career-high 21 Big-Time Throws (BTT) defined as high-level passes demonstrating elite timing, accuracy, and difficulty that often lead to explosive plays. His 5.1% BTT rate was solid, though elite quarterbacks typically exceed 7%.
However, his production dipped during his senior campaign. In six starts, Pro Football Focus credited Allar with just four Big-Time Throws, while his yards per attempt dropped from 8.4 in 2024 to 6.9.
Cosell isn’t the only draft analyst raising concerns.
Prominent draft analyst Todd McShay echoed similar sentiments regarding Allar’s evaluation.
“Start with the inability to throw accurately to targets moving away from him,” McShay said. “It’s almost as if it’s a visualization issue. It’s the damnedest thing, but it’s real. And yes, it’s highly frustrating because he has so many things you want in a quarterback.”
Allar will have one more opportunity to make a positive impression on NFL evaluators at Penn State’s Pro Day on March 18. Unlike the NFL Combine, where he was throwing to unfamiliar receivers, Allar will be working with players he knows well, giving him a chance to showcase the talent that once made him one of the most intriguing quarterback prospects in the country.
