The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a month away. While the quarterback class isn’t considered strong after Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson, there are plenty of names worth a flyer in the later rounds to try and develop. Matt Miller believes the Los Angeles Rams will use this strategy in April.
Drew Allar Projected as Matthew Stafford’s Understudy in Latest ESPN Mock Draft
During NFL Honors, when he won his first career MVP, Stafford confirmed he will be back for the 2026 season. However, he’s already 38 and won’t be a long-term answer in Los Angeles, especially as he mulled retirement after the 2024 season.
With this in mind, ESPN’s Matt Miller believes the Rams can prepare for the future by taking a flyer on Drew Allar. The Penn State quarterback has many traits of a potential franchise quarterback, but his mental game needs sharpening. With one year of learning from Stafford, this could be the ideal scenario for the Rams, according to Miller.
“Matthew Stafford was last season’s MVP, but he’s also 38 years old. The Rams could take a swing on Allar’s traits and potential to develop him for a season and hope to tap into his high-end arm talent.”
Stafford had one of his best seasons in 2025, but the Rams fell short of the Super Bowl after losing to the Seattle Seahawks. However, he missed most of the preseason with a back injury, and his participation in Week 1 wasn’t a certainty until the week of the game.
Allar is highly unlikely to be picked in the first round of the draft. Despite his traits appealing to general managers, his inconsistency during his college football career doesn’t make him worthy of a high pick. Even though the Rams are using a second-round pick in Miller’s mock, it’s outside the top 60.
With their first-round pick, No. 13, which was originally from Atlanta, Sean McVay continues to build the trenches with Spencer Fano from Utah. He’s one of the most consistent tackles of the class and has the versatility to align at both left tackle and right tackle, which is always a plus.
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Our PFSN CFB QB Impact Metric wasn’t impressed with Allar during the season. He earned a 78.7 grade and finished ranked No. 71. In 2025, Allar threw for 1,100 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions before his season ended prematurely with an ankle injury.
In 2024, he led Penn State to the College Football Playoff semifinals, where they lost 27-24 to Notre Dame.
