During team interviews with prospects athe 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar met with Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy. The Steelers are in the mix of teams in need of a quarterback in April's draft.
Post-combine NFL mock draft just extended the Penn State/Ohio State rivalry
Allar's arm was built for the combine, and his draft stock soared because of just that exactly. He is now top 80 pick, per Saturday Blitz's updated mock draft following the latest combine performances. In the updated version, Allar is mocked No. 76 to Pittsburgh.
McCarthy gave the former Nittany Lion the toughest time in the interviews. Allar told CBS Sports' Aditi Kinkhabwala that the Steelers' coach had him explain pre-snap movements and the different protections and concepts that Penn State uses.
"It was really fun, though," Allar said. "Those are the conversations I love. I love talking ball. I'm learning as much football as I can. I've taken a lot of pride in just trying to . . . [have] the highest football IQ I possibly can every year. I try to improve on it every year."
While McCarthy was Allar's biggest test in the interviews, he felt like he did well when he walked away from it.
Which coach has been the toughest when they put Drew Allar on the board?
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) February 27, 2026
Mike McCarthy, as @AKinkhabwala found out pic.twitter.com/p8SxpDZYml
No matter where Allar ends up in the NFL, coaching has to unlock his potential and put everything together for him. That's something he didn't have four seasons at Penn State, but he won't have four seasons to do so in the pros. Allar has, essentially, one season before the next crew of rising, talented quarterbacks threaten his spot.
Especially for a team like Pittsburgh, Allar's unthreatened combine performance won't mean much if he can't prove himself against defenses. His prototypical size, according to NFL analyst Lance Zierlein, is his biggest upside at quarterback. The inconsistency is what kills him and what has killed him in the past.
Per his draft profile on NFL.com, Allar was given a grade of 5.98, which is labeled as "average backup or special-teamer." He ranked sixth among quarterbacks in production with a score of 69, 10th in athleticism with a score of 75, and ninth overall with a score of 73.