Sixth round: The QB's (finally) in, and it's Howard
It took six rounds and 185 picks of this NFL Draft, but the Steelers finally addressed quarterback by selecting Ohio State's Will Howard.
Howard spent four seasons at Kansas State (2020-23) before transferring to Ohio State for the 2024 season. With the Buckeyes, he set the school single-season and career completion percentage records by completing 71.4% of his passes. His 325 completions, 455 attempts and 4,208 passing yards all rank third in Ohio State single-season history, and his 35 touchdown passes led the Big Ten.
The intangibles are solid with Howard. He's a great leader and elevated his game when it mattered more often than not. He's got the ideal size for the position at 6-4, 236 pounds, and has a willingness to attack any portion of the field. While he's certainly not a statue, he's not a dual-threat guy. While he has a good arm, it's not truly special. While his performance in the playoffs elevated his stock, there were too many times prior to that in which he shrunk in big moments.
That's why, throughout the draft process, he was projected as a Day 3 pick. That happened in spite of leading Ohio State to a national championship, putting an exclamation on his college career.
"You know what, he's a national champion and that says a lot about him," Omar Khan said of drafting Howard in the sixth round. "Just feel really good about knowing where we got him, just that we got the player here."
The Steelers' interest in Howard could not have been more obvious. They had a formal meeting at the NFL Scouting Combine and, according to team sources, impressed. They met with him again before Ohio State's pro day in Columbus.
"It just made a lot of sense," Howard said via conference call after being drafted. "From the moment I met Coach (Mike) Tomlin, I was like, this is a guy I could play for. I'm just so blessed. I'm overwhelmed."
Regardless of what happens with Aaron Rodgers, to which Tomlin reinforced today on NFL Network that talks remain "very productive," the Steelers need a long-term plan at quarterback. Despite not being one of the top-tier guys in a pretty weak class, there's obviously something about Howard that's got him on the Steelers' radar.
I have it on very good authority that Tomlin did not have a high opinion of Howard early in the college season. The low point for a lot of people was a terrible loss to Michigan at home in the regular-season finale. But his performance during Ohio State's run to a national championship changed things.
During the four games in the college football playoffs, he completed 75.2% of his passes for 1,150 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions while averaging 10.6 yards per attempt. That completion percentage, yards per game and yards per attempt were all higher marks than during the regular season.
That four-game stretch was necessary for Howard to prove he was worthy of any draft pick, even if it happened to be later on Day 3.
"I think like a lot of people, how he responded to that adversity at the end of their regular season and the leadership and play making that he displayed throughout the playoffs was really attractive," Tomlin said. "It's really what NFL football is about. There's going to be some adversity. How you respond to it defines you and your football team particularly from the quarterback position."
"His maturity level, what he accomplished this year," Arthur Smith said today, "those are things you see on tape."
The Steelers won't put too much on Howard's plate right away. Art Rooney II said as much on Steelers Nation Radio yesterday, that whoever was drafted would be more in a developmental role right away. The expectation on the South Side is that Rodgers will sign, and they have their failsafe in Mason Rudolph. Howard will get the chance to learn and develop.
Maybe he'll turn into something. Maybe not. But, when a team doesn't have a franchise quarterback, they have to take chances. A sixth-round national champion isn't a bad way to take a swing.
"It's not a matter of what happens on the field or if I play right away, it's about getting better, and it's about learning," Howard said. "And whoever is in the room with me, whoever is there competing with us, I just cannot wait to delve into this situation, and to really give my all to this team. Because that's how I do things. I don't do things half-in. I go all in. And I have every expectation that this next step with the Pittsburgh Steelers is going to be amazing for me. It's going to be the best thing for me. With Coach Smith, Coach Tomlin, with Coach (Tom) Arth, all guys that I have tremendous. respect for and feel that I could learn so much from. I'm so excited and can't wait to get to work."
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THE ASYLUM
Chris Halicke
4:10 pm - 04.26.2025South SideSixth round: The QB's (finally) in, and it's Howard
It took six rounds and 185 picks of this NFL Draft, but the Steelers finally addressed quarterback by selecting Ohio State's Will Howard.
Howard spent four seasons at Kansas State (2020-23) before transferring to Ohio State for the 2024 season. With the Buckeyes, he set the school single-season and career completion percentage records by completing 71.4% of his passes. His 325 completions, 455 attempts and 4,208 passing yards all rank third in Ohio State single-season history, and his 35 touchdown passes led the Big Ten.
The intangibles are solid with Howard. He's a great leader and elevated his game when it mattered more often than not. He's got the ideal size for the position at 6-4, 236 pounds, and has a willingness to attack any portion of the field. While he's certainly not a statue, he's not a dual-threat guy. While he has a good arm, it's not truly special. While his performance in the playoffs elevated his stock, there were too many times prior to that in which he shrunk in big moments.
That's why, throughout the draft process, he was projected as a Day 3 pick. That happened in spite of leading Ohio State to a national championship, putting an exclamation on his college career.
"You know what, he's a national champion and that says a lot about him," Omar Khan said of drafting Howard in the sixth round. "Just feel really good about knowing where we got him, just that we got the player here."
The Steelers' interest in Howard could not have been more obvious. They had a formal meeting at the NFL Scouting Combine and, according to team sources, impressed. They met with him again before Ohio State's pro day in Columbus.
"It just made a lot of sense," Howard said via conference call after being drafted. "From the moment I met Coach (Mike) Tomlin, I was like, this is a guy I could play for. I'm just so blessed. I'm overwhelmed."
Regardless of what happens with Aaron Rodgers, to which Tomlin reinforced today on NFL Network that talks remain "very productive," the Steelers need a long-term plan at quarterback. Despite not being one of the top-tier guys in a pretty weak class, there's obviously something about Howard that's got him on the Steelers' radar.
I have it on very good authority that Tomlin did not have a high opinion of Howard early in the college season. The low point for a lot of people was a terrible loss to Michigan at home in the regular-season finale. But his performance during Ohio State's run to a national championship changed things.
During the four games in the college football playoffs, he completed 75.2% of his passes for 1,150 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions while averaging 10.6 yards per attempt. That completion percentage, yards per game and yards per attempt were all higher marks than during the regular season.
That four-game stretch was necessary for Howard to prove he was worthy of any draft pick, even if it happened to be later on Day 3.
"I think like a lot of people, how he responded to that adversity at the end of their regular season and the leadership and play making that he displayed throughout the playoffs was really attractive," Tomlin said. "It's really what NFL football is about. There's going to be some adversity. How you respond to it defines you and your football team particularly from the quarterback position."
"His maturity level, what he accomplished this year," Arthur Smith said today, "those are things you see on tape."
The Steelers won't put too much on Howard's plate right away. Art Rooney II said as much on Steelers Nation Radio yesterday, that whoever was drafted would be more in a developmental role right away. The expectation on the South Side is that Rodgers will sign, and they have their failsafe in Mason Rudolph. Howard will get the chance to learn and develop.
Maybe he'll turn into something. Maybe not. But, when a team doesn't have a franchise quarterback, they have to take chances. A sixth-round national champion isn't a bad way to take a swing.
"It's not a matter of what happens on the field or if I play right away, it's about getting better, and it's about learning," Howard said. "And whoever is in the room with me, whoever is there competing with us, I just cannot wait to delve into this situation, and to really give my all to this team. Because that's how I do things. I don't do things half-in. I go all in. And I have every expectation that this next step with the Pittsburgh Steelers is going to be amazing for me. It's going to be the best thing for me. With Coach Smith, Coach Tomlin, with Coach (Tom) Arth, all guys that I have tremendous. respect for and feel that I could learn so much from. I'm so excited and can't wait to get to work."
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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