Even though NFL quarterbacks are playing until they’re at a more — ahem — advanced age, it’s alway important to plan for the future.
Not everyone is going to luck out and get a second chance quarterback in his prime like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did with Baker Mayfield or the Minnesota Vikings and now Seattle Seahawks did with Sam Darnold.
Heck, even Darnold got replaced by a younger quarterback in Minnesota with J.J. McCarthy, and that came after Darnold made the Pro Bowl in 2024.
Teams that think ahead, even when they have a starter in place, usually benefit.
The Green Bay Packers are the best example. They drafted 4-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers while Brett Favre was very much still running things. They drafted $220 million quarterback Jordan Love while Rodgers was still on top of the league.
That’s why the Dallas Cowboys might want to go with a quarterback in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft and plan for the eventual demise of starter Dak Prescott. The NFL Mock Draft Database projects that quarterback could be Penn State star Drew Allar.
Allar, 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, has started 29 consecutive games over the last 2 seasons with a 23-6 record. He threw for 3,327 yards, 24 touchdowns and 8 interceptions to go with 302 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns in 2024 as he led the Nittany Lions to the College Football Playoff for the first time.
From NFL Draft Buzz: “The prototype-built signal caller from Medina, Ohio arrived at Penn State as one of the nation’s most coveted recruits, and his development has validated the hype. After setting Medina County records with over 9,000 passing yards and 98 touchdowns in high school, Allar stepped into a backup role as a true freshman before seizing the starting job in 2023. His meteoric rise continued through 2024, where he showcased dramatic improvement in accuracy and decision-making while leading Penn State to its first Big Ten Championship game appearance since 2008.”
Likely First Round Pick in 2025 NFL Draft
Allar would have almost certainly been a first round pick in the 2025 NFL draft but chose to return to school for one more season.
“Among ESPN analysts, Mel Kiper Jr. had Allar No. 4 in his latest quarterback rankings for the upcoming draft, and Jordan Reid put him No. 3 at the position and No. 30 overall,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel wrote on December 16. “ESPN’s Matt Miller also ranked Allar No. 30 overall if he had decided to go out in this draft. Allar’s expected return now positions him at the top of the 2026 NFL draft quarterback conversation, putting him alongside LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier.”
While the first round in 2025 saw just 2 quarterbacks drafted in the first round — No. 1 pick Cam Ward and No. 25 pick Jaxson Dart — the 2026 class could likely see 5 quarterbacks drafted in the first round, if not more if Texas quarterback Arch Manning shows he’s NFL ready after his first season as a full time starter.
Prescott Highest Paid Player in NFL History
The Cowboys made Prescott the highest paid player in NFL history before the 2024 season with a 4-year, $240 million contract extension. Prescott responded by missing 9 games with a hamstring injury as Dallas stumbled to a 7-10 record after going 12-5 in each of the 2 previous seasons.
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