Why the Cleveland Browns Could Take a Flyer on Drew Allar in the 2026 NFL Draft

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar is starting to garner a bit of attention ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Following a 2025 campaign where the Nittany Lions' starting signal caller went down with a season-ending ankle injury, questions began to be raised on whether or not he would be ready to go by the combine. Fortunately, he was able to rehab and was healthy enough to showcase how he looks before teams consider taking a flyer on him.

When asked about how he was doing, the 21-year-old said he's ready to go out there and play.

"If I had to play a game today or tomorrow, I feel like I could go out there and get it done," Allar said.

As teams begin to look more deeply into Allar's skill set and what he has to offer on the gridiron, that injury he suffered will be in the back of many minds, which is why his decision not to enter last year's draft may have had such a major impact on his football career.

According to Cleveland Browns radio broadcaster Nathan Zegura, the Browns likely would've taken him last year if he had declared instead of sticking around Penn State for another campaign.

"Had he come out last year, I think there’s a good chance Drew Allar is a Cleveland Brown," Zegura said.

However, even though the Browns' front office wasn't able to snag him last year, nothing is stopping them from deciding to take a leap of faith and swoop him up this year.

"I could see them taking a flyer on Drew Allar in the third or the fourth round," Zegura continued.

"Had he come out last year, I think there’s a good chance Drew Allar is a Cleveland Brown."

Nathan Zegura was on 92.3 The Fan discussing the possibility of the Browns drafting another QB in April. He said the team was "very, very high" on Allar last year.

"I could see them… pic.twitter.com/AZko2EtwgT
— The Dawgs - A Cleveland Browns Podcast (@thedawgspodcast) March 16, 2026

Zegura is consistently tapped into what's going on in the Browns' front office, giving more merit to the claim that Cleveland could at least be considering Allar if he falls into the later rounds.

And in all honesty, he's talented enough to at least end up as a fourth or fifth rounder.

The only question is whether or not deciding to draft yet another quarterback makes sense for the Browns as they head into the 2026 campaign.

Allar's Fit in Cleveland

The native of Medina, Ohio, has always seemingly been a player the Browns could keep an eye on, given his local ties and prototypical quarterback frame.

However, right now, if the Browns decided to bring him on the roster, he'd be competing for a spot against two sophomore quarterbacks in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, and now-veteran arm Deshaun Watson.

While Gabriel is nearly completely out of the race for a starting spot, both Sanders and Watson will be competing all offseason to start under center by the time the Season Opener hits.

By throwing Allar in the mix, yet another cluster will occur, stunting the ability for either Watson to restart his career, Sanders to take a leap after his rookie campaign or Allar to even get a realistic look at time on the gridiron.

Allar does fit the mold of an NFL quarterback, though, being both physical and mobile, all while having a good arm. He'll have to prove that his last year of college ball isn't going to hinder his playstyle moving forward.

He finished his senior season of ball passing for 1,100 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions across six games. Even before his injury, it was obvious that he wasn't at the top of his game and that some struggles were starting to show through.

But 2025 could've just been a fluke. After all, he did record 5,958 yards, 49 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions in his sophomore and junior seasons combined. He also showcased mobility, dashing for over 500 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Allar spoke at the combine, saying that 2025 wasn't the best, but he's going to learn from what happened and help it grow his mental game.

"Obviously, it's not what I envisioned," Allar said. "I'm a firm believer in 'everything happens for a reason,' and I've just taken this opportunity through this injury to better myself as a person, teammate and as a player. I wouldn't change a thing. Everything happens for a reason.

"I'm a firm believer in that, and I know everything's going to work out for the best in the long run."

Cleveland's front office has been known to make surprising decisions when the draft rolls around, and selecting Allar could be on the minds of many in the front office.