Bengals crack a smile at Steelers' desperate Drew Allar draft Hail Mary

The Cincinnati Bengals have had an eventful Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft, but the biggest, rather hilarious plot twist by far from Friday came courtesy of one of their rivals.

Desperate to solve their tenuous quarterback situation, the Pittsburgh Steelers took a wild swing at Penn State quarterback Drew Allar with the 76th overall pick in the third round. No offense to Allar, but a franchise QB he is not. Or at least there's little evidence to date to suggest such a future.

Although they're the reigning AFC North champs, the Steelers are approaching this draft with reckless abandon and seemingly no discernible strategy. They're both sabotaging their present and not setting themselves up to win now if Aaron Rodgers does indeed return for one last ride.

Steelers' Drew Allar draft pick highlights desperation to keep pace with Joe Burrow's Bengals in AFC North

What a tough couple of evenings for Pittsburgh, who already had a rough go of it in their failed pursuit of USC wide receiver Makai Lemon on Day 1.

Alabama wideout Germie Bernard was a solid pick for the Steelers in Round 2. However, the strange selection of Arizona State right tackle Max Iheanachor at No. 21 overall and now Allar has Pittsburgh sporting a dubious three-round draft haul thus far.

We'll see what the Steelers do with their remaining two third-rounders, but what is the plan here at the most important position on the field? Pittsburgh invested a pick in ex-Ohio State QB Will Howard last year. He's not ready to start either.

When it comes to Allar, he's a year away from being a year away. For a third-round pick joining a roster very much built to win now, it's not an optimal scenario.

Weird-miss inaccurate passes, curious decision-making, shaky pocket presence, and somewhat stagnant collegiate development are all marks against Allar as he prepares to enter the professional ranks.

Here's a mere sample of some reactions to this pick, which are admittedly a lot more positive-skewed than I would've anticipated.

Allar has the prototypical 6'5" frame, arm strength, and plus mobility of a modern field general. Being coached up by reputed QB guru Mike McCarthy should aid his development, too. It's just that he'll have a real fight on his hands to beat out Howard for either the starting gig or backup job behind Rodgers.

McCarthy and Rodgers have experience with QB succession plans from their shared time in Green Bay. Rodgers took the place of the legendary Brett Favre. Once McCarthy left town, the Packers drafted Rodgers' eventual heir apparent, Jordan Love.

The major difference here is that Love was a first-round pick, whereas Allar was once considered a first-round talent until his career at Penn State took a nosedive.

Even before Allar broke his ankle in October, though, the Nittany Lions offense was a complete tire fire. How much of that is on the coaching staff, the scheme, the supporting cast, and Allar himself? It's difficult to assign blame. The Steelers obviously saw enough to take a swing on him.

Oh to be a fly on the wall wherever Rodgers. Just to see his reaction upon receiving this Allar news. Could be some more drama on the horizon!

As mentioned before, Pittsburgh has a surplus of third-round selections. Using one of them on Allar feels more like a low-risk, high-reward move on principle. That is, until you factor in the dubious state of the Steelers' QB depth chart.

Perhaps Allar's physical tools will ultimately translate to NFL excellence. The problem is, he's in line to get thrust into duty before he's ready, and Allar pales in comparison to Joe Burrow, never mind another elite AFC North signal-caller in the Ravens' two-time MVP Lamar Jackson

Bottom line? The Steelers are absolutely flailing to find some semblance of stability at quarterback. Drew Allar underscores that point to the nth degree.

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