Browns meeting with Ohio native QB raises draft intrigue

It’s not often that you find homegrown NFL talent in your backyard, but that might be the case for the Cleveland Browns, who are talking to college quarterback prospect Drew Allar of the Penn State Nittany Lions. Allar is one of dozens of NFL college prospects working out at this week's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. 

Allar grew up in Medina, Ohio, which is a hop, skip and a jump from Cleveland. When he was interviewed at the NFL event this week, he shared that he’d been to most Browns home games over the years as his family had season tickets. He described the opportunity to play for the team that he used to root for as a kid as being really cool and surreal. 

Having not played football until high school, Allar moved up quickly to the varsity team by his sophomore season and became a sought-after recruit going to college. At the NFL Combine interview, he mentioned his connection to the Browns' current quarterback coach, Mike Bajakian, whom he had originally met when he was being recruited to play college football for the Northwestern Wildcats. Bajakian was the quarterbacks coach back then for the Wildcats.

Drew Allar has had informal meetings with the Browns at the NFL Combine

Connections in this business do matter, and the fact that the Browns have already had informal conversations with Allar would suggest that he’s definitely on the team's radar. 

The Browns have lots of questions at quarterback rolling into this season. They have Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Deshaun Watson on the roster at the moment. If the team were to pursue Allar in the draft, he would likely be a mid-to-late-round draft choice. Projections for his draft position have him being taken by teams anywhere between the third and seventh rounds. 

Allar had a promising start to his college career and showed some real flair as a sophomore at Penn State. He passed for over 2,600 yards and threw 25 touchdowns while throwing only two interceptions. However, in his junior year, he struggled at times and played inconsistently. His team made it to the college football playoff semifinal game against Notre Dame. Unfortunately for Allar and Penn State, they lost that game.

Wanting to win a National Championship and potentially raise his draft stock, Allar decided to return to play his senior year with the Nittany Lions. Unfortunately, he was injured early in the season and didn’t play another down. Since then, he’s been rehabbing in anticipation of playing in the NFL. This Combine is his first opportunity to get back and show NFL coaches he’s ready to make the leap and contribute to a new team.

The Browns have had their share of native Ohioans join the team. Currently, the team has tight end Harold Fannin, cornerback Denzel Ward, and linebacker Jerome Baker on the roster, who are all from the Cleveland region.

The love affair the Browns fans have with their homegrown talent goes back to the days of quarterback Bernie Kosar, who was drafted by Cleveland in the 1985 Supplemental Draft. Kosar was a native of Youngstown, Ohio, and helped bring several big moments and a series of AFC Championship appearances to his team. Kosar is still regarded as a local hero among many longtime Cleveland fans. 

Allar shared at the recent NFL Combine that the first jerseys that he wore as a kid were of former Browns quarterback Charlie Frye and offensive lineman and Hall of Famer Joe Thomas. Frye grew up in Ohio and went to the University of Akron before being drafted by the Browns, starting as their quarterback back in 2005. Frye’s time in Cleveland didn’t go so well as he went 6-13 in his time with the team, but the fans still got behind the local kid soon after being drafted, hoping he might be the next local hero.

Allar, if drafted by the team he grew up watching, could add another chapter to the story of a local kid drafted by the Browns, given a chance to become a local legend. Could it happen? We will find out soon enough!