We knew the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to come out of the 2025 NFL Draft with another quarterback on their roster; we just didn't know who it would be. As each round came and passed, the front office neglected the QB position... that is, until selecting Will Howard in the sixth round. Now the Ohio State national champion has a golden opportunity.
As the No. 185 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, fans have reasonably low expectations for Howard. Most draft analysts knocked Howard for his pedestrian arm talent and questionable decision-making. These factors no doubt led to Howard's slide until late on Day 3 when the Steelers took a shot on him.
Now, Howard will have the ultimate chip on his shoulder, and he couldn't have landed in a better spot to prove he's worth the gamble.
The Steelers are holding out hope that Aaron Rodgers will come to his senses and ink a deal with Pittsburgh. But if that doesn't happen—and it's far from a guarantee that it will—the door is wide open for Howard to shine early in his NFL career.
Will Howard could beat out unspectacular competition on the Pittsburgh Steelers
With only Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson at the quarterback position, Will Howard is in a prime position to prove to Mike Tomlin and the coaching staff that he has what it takes to be a starting quarterback in this league. Considering who he's competing against, there's nowhere that would have been better for Howard to prove his worth right away.
Rudolph's arm talent is average at best, while Thompson's arm screams 'practice squad quarterback.' Thankfully, Howard's modest arm talent is going to fit right in. His arm might even look noticeably better than the competition on the roster. What was considered Howard's biggest weakness suddenly becomes a non-factor in the eyes of the coaching staff.
From there, it's everything else about Howard's game that could set him apart.
The national champion quarterback has impressive movement skills and athletic traits, considering his size profile. Though Howard didn't run a 40-yard dash during the pre-draft process, NFL Draft Scout had his projected 40 time at 4.68. That's cruising for a guy who stands at 6'4 1/4'' and 236 pounds.
When the coaching staff watches Howard next to Rudolph and Thompson on the practice field, this part of his game is going to pop. Additionally, Howard already conducts himself like a 10-year veteran in the film room. Howard expressed his knowledge of the game on Gruden's QB Class with Jon Gruden.
Before being drafted, Howard was adamant that every that passes on him in the NFL Draft is going to regret it. This sounds cliché, but Howard already went above and beyond to prove doubters wrong at the collegiate level, and I wouldn't be shocked if he did it again. After transferring from Kansas State, Howard spent just one season with the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he exploded for 4,010 passing yards and 42 total touchdowns while completing 73.0 percent of his passes for 9.5 yards per attempt.
I'm not the biggest Will Howard fan, and, generally, I would prefer to bet on quarterbacks with more traits, arm talent, and upside. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers may have just given the young quarterback the opportunity of a lifetime for a sixth-round pick, and Howard is out to prove why he's worth betting on.