It took a bit longer than expected, but the Pittsburgh Steelers ultimately landed a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft, and it is a guy they had quite the connection with throughout the pre-draft process.
That would be Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, who was the Steelers’ sixth-round selection at No. 185 overall.
The Steelers attend the Ohio State Pro Day with a huge contingency and got a good look at him. Howard also spoke highly about the Steelers in the pre-draft process. And now, he’s a Steeler.
For longtime NFL analyst Brian Baldinger, Howard fits the mold of what the Steelers look for at quarterback as a big, strong player. He added that he believes Howard’s College Football Playoff run sold the Steelers on him.
“First of all they’re getting the national champion. But his run to the national championship, those four games in the playoffs, that was an incredible run of just taking care of the football, making big plays, pulling the ball down and running it when it was opportunity,” Baldinger said of the Steelers’ selection of Howard, according to video via NFL Network. “That was a great run and the Steelers saw that and I think they really kind of hung on that, going, ‘This is the guy that we can develop.'”
While the Steelers wait for a decision from 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers, they needed to add to the quarterback room. After passing on Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders three times, and drawing quite a bit of criticism in the process, the Steelers stuck to their board and landed a guy they showed quite a bit of interest in.
Howard measured in at 6042, 236 pounds at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, with 9-inch hands. He added a 31.5-inch vertical jump, a 9’4″ broad jump, a 4.33 short shuttle and a 7.13 3-cone. He’s a big, thick quarterback who can stand in the pocket and deliver. He also brings good mobility and athleticism to the position.
“I think Steelers are always looking for a big, strong quarterbacks,” Baldinger said. “I mean, you go back to [Terry] Bradshaw and Big Ben [Roethlisberger], I mean that’s what you’re gonna get.”
Without a doubt, he’s a big, tough quarterback with some mobility who could function very well in Arthur Smith’s offensive scheme with more development.
In a scouting report for Steelers Depot, Alex Kozora stated that he likes Howard quite a bit and compared him to former NFL QB Matt Hasselbeck.
“Overall, I was impressed by Will Howard’s game. He has a lot of the basic tools to succeed and importantly, has a defining trait. Every franchise quarterback needs to have a calling card. They can’t be just average/above average at everything. Howard’s touch and overall accuracy are impressive and will serve him well at the NFL level. And I don’t think it’s a flash in the pan from one playoff run. This isn’t Cardale Jones 2.0.”
A comparison to Matt Hasselbeck might not be the flashiest, but as a sixth-round quarterback who should sit all year and might have the chance to learn from a guy like Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers did well with the selection, dipping back into the Ohio State pipeline in the process.
