When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Max Iheanachor in round one, the reaction was that of vitriol, confusion, and, honestly, disappointment. In reality however, the contrast between the fan reaction to the 21st pick and the 76th pick doesn’t make a lot of sense. 

The first rounder carries more weight, no doubt. But there were a lot of good players on the board at 76, and that’s what made the Steelers’ selection the biggest risk, but also the one with the chance for the highest reward. 

Drew Allar is the biggest risk the Steelers took, yet he could be their best reward 

If you take a quarterback in rounds 4-7, the potential reward far outweighs the risk. But when you use the 76th pick in the draft and your third overall selection (the first of three picks in said round) on a quarterback, you naturally have a higher degree of risk. 

Maybe that would be different if the overall sentiment on Drew Allar was more positive, but the consensus is that the Steelers reached on a player that is light years away in terms of being able to start. Allar is rough around the edges with a lack of intangibles, scattershot accuracy, and sloppy footwork. 

But he also has the upside to be the best quarterback in this class, bar none, and that’s where Mike McCarthy comes in.

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Why Allar has the potential to be a rewarding pick

If you watch a cut-up of Drew Allar, and it’s only highlights, you’re going to sit there and ask yourself why he’s not the top pick in the draft. The arm talent pops off the screen, He can throw off platform and to any level of the field. He’s not Josh Allen athletically, but he can move within the pocket and scramble. Oh, and he’s a prototype for what a passer looks like. 

So the upside is there. He has traits that Steelers QBs Will Howard and Mason Rudolph, simply don’t. Time will tell if Mike McCarthy can realize that potential in Allar. But if he does, the Steelers may have just found their next Ben Roethlisberger.