Penn State quarterback Drew Allar's best team fit might be a surprise to many.
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar had about as bad a year as he possibly could have had in terms of his draft stock.
He gave up his opportunity to go to the draft after the 2024-25 season, where he would have likely been a late first-round pick. Instead, he wanted to continue to develop and improve his draft stock.
However, Allar's stock plummeted throughout the course of the 2025 college football season.
He looked bad when he was playing, and then he compounded that with a major injury when he broke his ankle. It was the start of a very bad season for the Nittany Lions, and that was just one aspect of his failing stock.
However, there is a silver lining in just about everything, and for Allar, it is not the end of the world that his stock took a dip.
A major factor in the success of a career for a young quarterback is the situation he lands in. Oftentimes, the best college players go to the worst NFL programs, and their careers tank. That will not be the case for Allar.
© Jacob Musselman | 2026 Feb 27 He will likely be selected to a team that is looking for some quarterback depth or is looking to take a chance at the position. His expectation will not be to turn a franchise around, and he will have the opportunity to develop properly under a veteran quarterback.
So, where is that best fit?
For me, Allar's best fit is in Carolina, playing for the Panthers.
Carolina is in a fascinating position because the writing is on the wall with the quarterback position, but no one really wants to say it. They selected Bryce Young with the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and it hasn't worked out the way that the Panthers have wanted it to.
He is a fine player, but definitely not first-overall material. The good part is that the Panthers have built up the roster around him, so the roster is in a position to win, and on top of that, they made the playoffs last season.
Competing in the NFC South means you will always be in the race, and the Panthers are in that category.
So, if the Panthers select Allar with a mid-round pick, he might slot in just perfectly. He will be inexpensive as the Panthers play out the rest of Young's rookie contract, and they could have Allar waiting in the wings.
This would give Allar a year to develop, and then when he gets his opportunity to take over the reins, he will have a roster that's ready to win. All he would need to do is step up to the plate.