NFL coordinator has surprising pick for 'favorite quarterback' in 2026 draft other than Fernando Mendoza

Fernando Mendoza of the Indiana Hoosiers and Ty Simpson of the Alabama Crimson Tide are widely expected to be the first two quarterbacks drafted later in April. 

While it seems to be a lock that the Las Vegas Raiders will make Mendoza the draft's first pick on the night of April 23, some seem to believe Simpson will fall to either the final picks of the first round or all the way to the second round. 

Meanwhile, some have suggested that Garrett Nussmeier of the LSU Tigers or Miami's Carson Beck will be the third quarterback drafted this year. For a piece published on Wednesday, one unnamed NFL coordinator offered a surprising take about Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar.

How good is Drew Allar compared to Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson?

"He's my favorite quarterback in the draft outside of Mendoza," the coordinator said about Allar. "In the right system, he can be great. He's got everything as far as tools. His footwork is an absolute mess. But improve his footwork, and he can take off. He deserved better than what he got at Penn State."

Allar failed to impress in some big-game moments before he suffered a fractured ankle this past fall. That said, evaluators have noted that the 6-foot-5 prospect also looked the part at times during his college career and during his scripted pro-day workout. Nevertheless, Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic predicted in his mock draft posted on Monday that Allar won't become a top-100 choice. 

Which team could take a flier on Drew Allar?

The New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals are among the teams previously linked with advertised project quarterbacks such as Allar. For a different article posted on Wednesday, ESPN's Ben Solak predicted that the Miami Dolphins will grab Allar with pick No. 130. 

The Dolphins and former Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Malik Willis agreed to a three-year, $67.5M contract earlier this offseason. However, some think Willis will struggle to succeed with Miami this coming fall. 

"The Dolphins have so many draft needs that they might pass on quarterback entirely," Solak explained. "But they also have so many picks (three third-rounders) that taking the leap on a falling Allar wouldn't impact their rebuild and could even accelerate it if he hits."