The Pittsburgh Steelers’ decision to draft Drew Allar in the third round continues to generate mixed reactions, and Ben Roethlisberger is among those still trying to make sense of it.
Speaking on his podcast Footbahlin, the former Steelers quarterback offered a candid assessment of the pick and what it could mean for the team’s quarterback room.
“This is one that I’m not sure yet if I love it or hate it. You can get a lot of really good players in the third round. I don’t think this was done because they know anything about Aaron. I think it was a: ‘We liked a big physical quarterback.’ I think he had a lot of hype behind him at one point. I don’t watch a lot of Penn State games. When I did watch, he never jumped off the page to me. Is he big? Can he move? Can he throw? Yeah, but there was never a time when I was like ‘Whoa.’ We’ll see about this one.”
Ben Roethlisberger prefers Will Howard over Drew Allar
Ben Roethlisberger also made it clear that, based on what he’s seen, Will Howard may currently have the edge. Despite being a sixth-round pick, Howard has made a stronger impression in his view.
“Will was a sixth-rounder. This is a third-rounder. I think this will push Will. When I watch tape, or if I watch games, Will Howard jumped off the tape to me way more than Drew did.”
That dynamic is exactly what the Steelers appear to be setting up. With uncertainty still surrounding the future at quarterback thanks to Aaron Rodgers, they are creating an environment where performance, not draft position, will ultimately decide roles.
