Rajvir Bal Isn’t on the Drew Allar First-Round Hype Train (Yet)

Draftwire, Pro Football Network, CBS, USA Today, ESPN, NBC Sports, Fox Sports, Pro Football Focus, The Athletic, 33rd Team, and Bleacher Report have all stamped Penn State quarterback (QB) Drew Allar with a first-round grade since the 2025 NFL Draft ended (nflmockdraftdatabase.com).

It’s already clear that Allar is going to be one of the biggest names in this next year’s draft cycle.

FULL SPEED AHEAD

How do I see him?

Before getting into that, first, a look at his journey and production.

Background

Coming out of high school, Allar was a five-star recruit (247Sports.com). 

Allar is in the 87th percentile (height) and 92nd percentile (weight) for the QB position (per NFLDraftBuzz.com). 

His substantial size immediately earns him extra points from me.

Allar’s 2024 Stats:

• 262 completions out of 394 attempts (66.5%)
• 3,327 yards (8.4 avg.)
• 24 touchdowns
• 8 interceptions

#15 Drew Allar 6-foot-5, 238 pounds 
Rajvir Bal’s 2026 Summer NFL Draft Grade: Third-Round (I would select him)
Projected by 82.1% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of May 27, 2025 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

Penn State QB Drew Allar is Painfully Underwhelming (2023: 5 games evaluated)

2024 game film reviewed: Ohio State, Illinois, West Virginia, and Minnesota (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Great Natural Arm Talent

This is the draw.

Allar has some of the best arm talent in college football right now. He can PUSH the ball downfield, and his velocity and natural ability to throw are what NFL general managers will likely buy into.

Conservative Mindset

Despite the above-stated arm talent, he just didn’t seem to want it.

Allar preferred checking the ball down over trying to make a read down the field, a perplexing choice, being that he has the arm to make the deep ball work.

This mindset won’t serve him well in the NFL, as he’ll need to make throws all over the field in order to be a viable starter.

Spotty Ball Placement

Allar’s pass placement was my main problem with him in 2023, and that carried over to this year’s film.

He still looked erratic and unpredictable on throws past 10 yards.

His inconsistent placement stems from his poor footwork, especially when he’s lined up directly under center.

Strengths?

• Navigates the pocket well and has solid mobility
• Can go through progressions with ease
• Decent throwing mechanics, which is an improvement from last year

Room For Improvement

Allar worked his way up three rounds on my board from 2023 (sixth-round grade), and I’m hoping he’ll make a similar jump in 2025.

Some things to watch this season ⎯

• Does he play aggressively?
• Is ball placement consistent?
• How does he react to pressure?

Ten Adjectives

Strong-armed. Timid. Hesitant. Inconsistent. Intelligent. Conservative. Raw. Prototypical. Coachable. Unpolished.

Explaining the Grade

Allar’s limitations don’t bode well for this NFL ceiling.

At this point, he looks like a high-end backup with the “potential” to become a bottom-tier starter down the line.

2024 Game Film Summary

Someone is going to see the arm and convince themselves they can fix the rest.

Rajvir Bal is a high school student from the Virginia area. He grew up a rabid Washington Redskins fan, attending more than 30 games, and has enjoyed the team’s high points and low points throughout his life. He plays varsity football and basketball. Rajvir has taken an interest in the NFL Draft since middle school when his team picked Montez Sweat and Dwayne Haskins in the first round. His favorite NFL player ever flips between Rob Gronkowski and Brett Favre, and his favorite athlete is LeBron James. He has been writing his own scouting reports since 2020, and is excited for the opportunities FirstRoundMock provides.