With the official start of the 2026 NFL preseason now underway, Thursday night's games provided an in-depth look at several notable backups, rookies, and players fighting for a spot on their respective teams' 53-man rosters. Among the most impressive NFL debuts came from Pittsburgh Steelers signal-caller Drew Allar. After fellow rookie quarterback Carson Beck put on a memorable performance in the Hall of Fame Game, Allar matched the hype that Beck built, emerging as one of the stars of Thursday night's NFL action.
It certainly didn't hurt that, when Allar entered the game in the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers, his very first pass gained 70 yards to wide receiver Kaden Wetjen. He followed that up by scoring on a 3-yard run shortly after, and the hype train was already heading out of the station.
Drew Allar's best plays from 153-yard, 3 total TD performance in preseason win over the Packers.@AllarDrew@Steelerspic.twitter.com/0wH4wfcEkY
— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2026
While the play itself was a great storyline for a rookie, his final stat line was enough to make anyone do a double-take. Allar completed 10 of 13 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns, also adding one additional rushing score.
Even facing the Packers' reserve defense, it was hard to deny that Allar impressed in his NFL debut. How his NFL future turns out is anyone's guess, but one thing that many fans were left asking following his big night, is what led to Allar's slide in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Why did Drew Allar fall in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Allar, who played in college for Penn State, was ranked as the No. 3 overall recruit in 2022 and the No. 1 overall quarterback by 247Sports. The hype was there, the talent was apparent and his upside was briefly put on display as a freshman that season, as he threw for 344 yards and four touchdowns in very limited action.
Allar was the starter in 2023 and posted a strong 25 touchdown passes (with four rushing scores) and only two interceptions. However, he completed just 59.9% of his passes for 2,631 yards. Fortunately, he improved in both areas in 2024, increasing his completion percentage to 66.5% while throwing for 3,327 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions in year No. 3.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why did Drew Allar fall so far to Steelers in 2026 NFL Draft?