Allar named strongest arm

ESPN’s latest 2026 draft superlatives put Penn State quarterback Drew Allar atop one quarterback trait: arm strength. (espn.com) In Matt Bowen’s April 13 list, ESPN called Allar a “fastball thrower” and said the 6-foot-5, 228-pound passer can drive the ball to every level of the field. The same piece slotted Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza as the class’s most accurate passer and best deep-ball thrower. (espn.com) That distinction lands late in the draft cycle, after the National Football League set the 2026 draft order in March and with the event now days away. The league’s football operations site says the first round will again use an eight-minute clock per pick. (operations.nfl.com) Arm strength is one piece of quarterback evaluation, not a full ranking. Bowen’s list split the position into separate traits, with Garrett Nussmeier of Louisiana State leading pocket mobility and release speed, and Ty Simpson of Alabama leading passing mechanics. (espn.com) For Allar, the label matches the frame and velocity scouts have tracked for years. Penn State lists him at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, and the school says he leaves as its career leader in completion percentage at 63.2 while ranking third in touchdown passes with 61 and fourth in passing yards with 7,402. (gopsusports.com) His 2024 season gave evaluators the cleaner production line. Penn State says Allar completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2024, numbers that ranked among the best single-season marks in program history. (gopsusports.com) His 2025 season ended with less momentum. ESPN’s game log shows Allar played six games, threw for 1,100 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions, and did not appear after Penn State’s October 11 game against Northwestern. (espn.com) Allar also leaned into the trait himself before the draft. PennLive reported that he said at the National Football League Scouting Combine that he had the best arm in the 2026 quarterback class, a claim ESPN’s superlatives list effectively echoed this week. (pennlive.com) The catch is that “strongest arm” does not settle where he comes off the board. In ESPN’s own breakdown, Mendoza still sits at quarterback one and the likely No. 1 pick, which leaves Allar in the group of passers teams are weighing on tools, health, tape and fit as final meetings close. (espn.com)