The pick is in.
The 2025 NFL Draft is Omar Khan’s third year as the Steelers’ general manager and as in past years we evaluate the value of each pick. Based on projections for each player by draft outlets as well as our own reports we want to see if the pick’s value is above or below how they were ranked coming into the draft.
Round 6 (Pick 185) – Will Howard QB Ohio State
Quarterback was a position the Steelers did a lot of work on leading up to the draft and they chose a national champion. Howard beaome the fifth Big Ten player the team has selected in this draft.
Daniel Jeremiah had him ranked 85th in his Top 150 but did not have a write up on him.
Lance Zierlein’s profile at NFL.com of Howard gave him a 5.90 grade (average backup or special-teamer) with a round projection from the fourth to the fifth round and had him as his 10th-ranked quarterback.
He opined:
“Howard brings outstanding size and toughness to the table. He showed good improvement over the last three seasons. He is more a vessel of the play caller than a playmaking talent, though. He typically reads half the field and makes reasonable decisions with the football, using good mechanics and consistent accuracy. He doesn’t hold defenders at bay with his eyes and lacks the arm strength to beat tight man coverage on second- and third-level throws. He showed good poise in 2024 to beat the blitz through the air and has always been able to escape pressure by making plays with his legs.
“Howard is big, tough, and accurate but benefited from superior talent at the skill positions at Ohio State. Unless he proves he can play chess against NFL defenses, he might not have enough in the toolbox to become more than an average backup.”
Dane Brugler did not have Howard listed in the top 100. In his draft guide, The Beast, he had Howard the No. 8 quarterback and was given a fourth-round grade.
His profile states:
“A one-year starter at Ohio State, Howard was a terrific fit in former offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s RPO-based scheme with a ton of creativity in both the run and pass games. It isn’t easy arriving at a top program and becoming the clear leader in a short period of time, but Howard was able to do that in Columbus after spending four promising years at Kansas State. Despite several bumps during the regular season, he led the Buckeyes to the 2024 national championship and played his best in the four-game playoff stretch (75.2 percent completions, 287.5 passing yards per game, 8-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio).
A well-built athlete, Howard sets up quickly and throws well enough to all levels, doing some of his best work on designed rollouts and waggles to move his launch point. His aggressiveness as a passer will bite him at times, especially when he locks onto his preferred read — his ability to quickly get deeper into progressions will be crucial at the next level. Overall, Howard has a couple plays on each tape that make evaluators question if his decision-making and placement are consistent enough for him to be an NFL starter. But he has the physical requirements, intelligence, and mental resiliency to stick as a backup and potential spot-starter.”
CBSSports.com had Howard as the 99th player on its board and the No. 5 quarterback overall. The outlet gave him a grade of 80.05 (starter).
“Will Howard first garnered national attention when at Kansas State in 2022 he helped upset undefeated TCU in the Big 12 Championship Game. He garnered even more attention after transferring to Ohio State and leading them through the first-ever 12-team playoff to a national title last season. While it was a stacked Ohio State roster, Howard played far and away the best football of his career in the second half of last season. He still qualifies as a developmental prospect, but he’s an easy personality to buy stock in.
Our Howard profile by Alex Kozora gave him an 8.3 grade (2nd Round – Future Quality Starter).
He analyzed his play by saying:
“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.
Of the quarterbacks I’ve studied and produced reports on so far — Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart are the others — Howard is easily my favorite. And it wouldn’t be surprising to see him be the No. 3 quarterback off the board in this year’s draft.
My NFL comp is tough and a blend of players and styles. There’s some Blake Bortles to his game but he’s not quite the break-tackle merchant in the pocket. I’ll go a little old school and settle on Matt Hasselbeck.”
I think it’s safe to say this was an unusual draft for the quarterback position. Some went higher than expected, and some went lower than expected. Regardless, drafting Howard in the sixth round is lower than anticipated. The pick gives the Steelers a third option going forward until other quarterback decisions are made.
Based on the ratings above, this pick has very good value.
