'Right Now, This Is the Drew Allar Year,' ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. Says of Penn State's QB

Penn State hasn't had a No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft since 1999 and has never had a cornerback get drafted in the first round. Could the Nittany Lions snap both streaks in 2026? ESPN thinks it's possible.

ESPN's Matt Miller has released a new first-round mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft which included two Nittany Lions in the first round: Allar and cornerback AJ Harris, who would make history for Penn State.

And though Miller doesn't project Allar as the No. 1 overall pick, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said it's possible. On a recent episode of the Adam Schefter Podcast, Kiper suggested that Allar could stake a prime spot in next year's draft conversation with a big season.

"Right now, this is the Drew Allar year," Kiper told Schefter on the podcast. "When you're looking at having guys like that [running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen] back, that should help him and should [give] Drew Allar another year to really step it up and to maybe become the No. 1 pick overall or somewhere in the mix to be that first quarterback."

In his first-round mock draft, Miller suggests that Allar has some work to do to become the first quarterback picked. Miller projects Allar as the fourth quarterback selected and the 27th overall pick to the Los Angeles Rams, ostensibly as Matt Stafford's future replacement.

"Allar is a big-armed quarterback with good mobility for his size (6-foot-5, 238 pounds), but he hasn't quite put it all together," Miller writes. As a result, Miller also called Allar the toughest quarterback to rank in the class, with a potential mood swing from top of the draft to Day 3. Thus, Allar has a lot riding on this season beyond a Penn State national championship.

Ahead of Allar in the draft, Miller predicts that Penn State's AJ Harris will become the program's first cornerback selected in the first round. Miller has Harris going 25th overall to the Washington Commanders, citing his "ball-hawking skills" and ability to "press and jam receivers."

Penn State cornerbacks have been in the first-round conversation recently but didn't get there. Joey Porter Jr. was projected as a first-rounder in 2022 but went to Pittsburgh with the first pick of the second round. And Kalen King was supposed to a sure first-rounder after Porter, but a disappointing season caused him to fall to Green Bay in the 2024 seventh round. Harris wants to change the narrative.

"I expect him to be one of the best [cornerbacks] that ever played here," Penn State cornerbacks coach Terry Smith said.

Ultimately, the 2026 NFL Draft could be Penn State's best under head coach James Franklin and the team's most productive since 1996, when 10 Nittany Lions were selected. Penn State's 2025 roster includes about a dozen draft-worthy players without considering the trio of receivers who transferred into the program.

Allar and Harris might top the field, but Penn State has potentially four or five first-rounders, including defensive linemen Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant and guard Vega Ioane. Singleton and Allen were NFL-ready players last year, according to Big Ten Network's Matt Millen. And the offensive line includes four more potential draft prospects in Nick Dawkins, Drew Shelton, Anthony Donkoh and Nolan Rucci.

Penn State opens the 2025 season Aug. 30 against Nevada at Beaver Stadium.