Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar has quickly become a polarizing name to the fanbase, as well as the media and in league-wide circles. His huge arm, big frame, and athletic abilities make him a quarterback that fits a lot of the modern prototypes, but a need to redo his footwork and other mechanics do have some worried that he may never develop into a true starting quarterback.

Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports dove into both sides of the argument when it comes to the Penn State product, and he believes that the high-end of Allar’s development could see him follow the Drake Maye trajectory.

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“If you’re looking for the optimistic path for Allar, it might look something like Drake Maye,” Wilson writes. “The comparison isn’t perfect, but there are similarities. Going through my notes on Maye, many of the concerns sound familiar: inconsistent footwork, occasional accuracy lapses, a tendency to drift into pressure and stretches where he’d bypass easier throws in search of bigger plays downfield. Those concerns existed alongside flashes of a quarterback capable of making NFL throws that few players can. The anticipation, arm talent, athleticism and ability to create outside structure repeatedly showed up on tape. The data saw those traits too, which is one reason Maye projected so well despite the inconsistencies.”

The physical gifts are certainly there with Allar – they are why he was once considered to be a first-round pick ahead of the 2025 college football season, and why many find him to be one of the most intriguing prospects of this year’s class. Should Mike McCarthy and the Steelers’ staff be able to fine tune some of that raw talent and help him get close to his ceiling, Pittsburgh could have its answer at quarterback waiting in the wings come 2027.

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