Drew Allar NFL Draft projection: 5 teams that hope Penn State QB reconsiders staying

The world is Drew Allar's oyster. The Penn State star quarterback has the Nittany Lions in the midst of a national championship run. After winning their first-round home game over SMU and the Fiesta Bowl over Boise State, the Nittany Lions will take on Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl with a national title appearance on the line. All the while, Allar has been better and better in every game he plays.

While he did say that he plans to return to Penn State for his senior season in 2025, there are teams picking in the top half of the first round of the NFL Draft who would love nothing more than for him to change his mind. Right now, there are only two first-round locks at quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft in Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward. Alabama's Jalen Milroe might go in the first.

If Allar were to hold true to his word, he would be QB1 on my big board for the 2026 NFL Draft. Should he go back on his word and declare after his junior season, I would have him QB3 behind Sanders and Ward. With Sanders and Ward expected to go top five, there is a chance a player of Allar's talent could take advantage of the situation. I can think of at least five NFL teams who would love to draft him now.

Let's start with a team who will be taking a quarterback possibly this spring, but definitely next year.

5. New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints have the No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. While they have not drafted a first-round quarterback since Archie Manning, it will be their turn to do so either this spring or next year. For me, the timing of it all lines up to them taking a quarterback in 2026. Allar could be in play for them then, but I think local product in LSU's Garrett Nussmeier is the quarterback they would want.

Besides, the Saints still have to pay Derek Carr a boatload of money. Also, they seem to have something at least intriguing in his backup in Spencer Rattler. The Jake Haener pick seems to have been a wash. While Allar could add some much-needed excitement to a Saints team in dire need of it, I think they would rather go with a franchise cornerstone on defense before pursuing a quarterback.

Allar may very well go to the Saints, but that feels way more likely to happen in the 2026 NFL Draft.

4. New York Jets

I do not think there is a team that benefits more from another high-end quarterback potentially entering the 2025 NFL Draft than the New York Jets. While I do not expect that they will take one inside of the top 10, it may force other teams more desperate for a signal-caller to move heaven and earth to move up to get one. To be totally honest, Allar would be a great Aaron Rodgers successor.

For my money, I would pursue the best defensive player available with my top-10 selection if I were running the Jets. Then again, they may not be in as good of a position to get potentially a steal at a franchise quarterback quite like Allar. The Jets need to hire a new head coach and general manager first, but I think they could set themselves up for success by landing Allar in the draft if he declares.

Allar would make the Jets markedly better, but I feel there are other teams who would want him more.

3. San Francisco 49ers

While there may be a chance that the San Francisco 49ers decide to pay Brock Purdy big money, the better prototype of what he is happens to be Allar. Coming out, I said that former Michigan star J.J. McCarthy could be the next Brock Purdy. I am still quite dubious that he is going to work out with the Minnesota Vikings. That being said, I think Allar to the 49ers has the chance to be an all-time player.

Kyle Shanahan has been waiting for his Patrick Mahomes to fall from the sky. While he has had great success with the likes of Matt Schaub, Matt Ryan, Jimmy Garoppolo and now Purdy over the years, Allar is both the talent and the prototype to finally help the 49ers win another Super Bowl. If he went to the 49ers at No. 11, it would be like Mahomes to the Chiefs or Ben Roethlisberger to Pittsburgh.

San Francisco may not pull the trigger, but you have to wonder if they would consider drafting Allar.

2. Las Vegas Raiders

There are two teams picking outside of the top two I could envision trading up for a quarterback this spring. The first would have to be the Las Vegas Raiders. With Antonio Pierce out, it will be up to Tom Telesco to help find the next head coach for the Silver and Black. To put it bluntly, the Raiders need more than some combination of Gardner Minshew II, Aidan O'Connell and Desmond Ridder to thrive.

I would not be the least bit surprised if the Raiders traded up to No. 2 in a deal with the Cleveland Browns for the right to take Shedeur Sanders out of Colorado. Truth be told, they may reach on Jalen Milroe out of Alabama with their top-10 selection. If I were the Raiders, I would hope that Allar reconsiders so that they could conceivably move up to No. 4 in a trade with the New England Patriots.

Allar to the Raiders will help put an end to the ceaseless dysfunction we have seen out of the Raiders.

1. New York Giants

No team is more desperate for a quarterback than the New York Giants. While retaining Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen could prove to be a huge mistake, the G-Men have the No. 3 pick this spring. That could help them get either Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, but Cleveland could also look at a quarterback. It is impossible to see the Tennessee Titans picking at No. 1 not going with one of them.

At the end of the day, Allar and his representation need to come together and ask themselves this one question: How comfortably are you with playing for the New York Football Giants? Allar fits the mold of what the Giants want out of a quarterback. Unfortunately, ownership is getting increasingly decadent and detached with each passing season. For that reason, I would go back to Penn State.

Daboll might be able to save his career by coaching up Allar, but the Giants are asleep at the wheel.