Drew Allar’s stock didn’t skyrocket the way many expected because of his season-ending injury. He still remains a worthy pick for first-year head coach Todd Monken and the $6.4 billion valued Cleveland Browns. The positive news is that they appear to be playing it smart and safe with the idea of selecting Allar.

“As for drafting Allar, I’m all for taking developmental quarterbacks and seeing where it might lead,” wrote Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com on February 22. “If the Browns find one they like, perhaps they’d want to see what they could get for 2025 third-rounder Dillon Gabriel,” Cabot wrote.

The plan would be for the Browns to use one of their 10 draft picks to take a dart throw on him as a developmental project while they figure out their long-term plans at the position under Todd Monken’s regime. It’s an interesting idea and a bit of a homecoming storyline for Allar. The Browns, however, would likely only consider this move in the late rounds.

While exploring his stats, Drew Allar was a total beast for the Nittany Lions except for his 2026 season. The former Nittany Lions star racked up 7,402 passing yards and 61 touchdowns with just about 13 picks. There’s no question about his size and arm. He’s 6’5” and 235 lbs, and he could develop a Josh Allen-like build in three years.

After being regarded highly with a preseason QB2 tag, his draft stock took a bit of a hit. That unfortunately happened when he broke his left ankle late in the 2025 season. Because of that injury, he’s expected to be available in the mid-to-late rounds. For the Browns, this is a low-risk, high-reward situation. If he heals up and hits his ceiling, they could have a franchise steal on their hands.

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Of course, the quarterback room in Cleveland is already pretty crowded and a little absurd. They’ve still got Deshaun Watson’s big contract to deal with through 2026. Plus, they spent top draft picks in 2025 on Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. If the Browns actually pull the trigger on Allar, the word is they might look to trade Dillon Gabriel to clear some space.

This might seem very risky if you see it from the outside. It’s something Kevin Stefanski would never do. Even before the injury got the best of Allar, he wasn’t exactly slinging the pigskin last season. He threw for 1100 yards, 8 touchdowns with 3 picks in 6 games. That’s almost 1.2 touchdowns per game despite playing teams like Nevada, FIU, and Villanova.

The Browns’ Todd Monken knows exactly what he’s cooking. Even though he’s a first-time NFL head coach, the guy is a winner who led Georgia to back-to-back national titles with game manager Stetson Bennett. Plus, he helped Lamar Jackson win two NFL MVP awards during his stint with the Ravens. He might pull something off with Drew Allar.

At the end of the day, it’s all about building for the future. The Browns have two first-round picks this year, but using a later pick on a guy like Allar shows they are thinking about depth and insurance at the most premium position in all of football.

Drew Allar’s very controversial draft profile

Drew Allar is the definition of a boom or bust prospect heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. Due to his physical attributes, scouts want the quarterback on their teams. He arguably has the strongest arm in this entire draft class. The problem is that it didn’t pan out last season.

However, he’s pretty remarkable for taking great care of the football. He has only a 1.19 interception rate and set the NCAA record with 311 attempts without a pick. While he has elite arm talent, scouts worry about his heavy-footed movement in the pocket. His tendency to struggle against top-tier competition remains. He pads his stats against weaker opponents, some may say.

His struggles against top competition are stark: his completion rate plummets by 22%, from a solid 72% against unranked teams to below 50% when facing powerhouses like Ohio State and Michigan. His yards per game would fall from 9.3 to 5.6–6.2 yards.

Likewise, Allar’s only Top 10 win is against Boise State in 2024, where he threw 3 touchdowns and 171 yards. Unlike college football, in the NFL, every team is elite, the best of the best.

For a team with a late-round pick to spare, Allar is a low-risk gamble on a player who has all the physical tools to be a star if he can put it all together, hopefully.