With all of the talk about the quarterback position this offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers, particularly from an NFL Draft perspective, centering on some of the big names like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and more, there is one name that seems to be forgotten when it comes to a fit with the Steelers.
That would be Ohio State’s Will Howard, who is coming off a remarkable 2024 season with the Buckeyes, leading them to a national championship.
While guys like Sanders, Dart, and Milroe might be better quarterbacks and might ultimately have better careers than Howard in the NFL, the Downington, PA native profiles as a better fit in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme.
At least, that’s how The Athletic’s Derrik Klassen sees things.
In a piece for The Athletic on Monday morning, Klassen laid out the best fit for each quarterback in the class. He paired Sanders with the New Orleans Saints, Dart with the Seattle Seahawks, and Milroe with the Los Angeles Rams, while also pairing Louisville’s Tyler Shough with the Cleveland Browns and Texas’ Quinn Ewers with the Buffalo Bills.
But with Howard, it was clearly the Steelers for Klassen.
“They have to draft somebody, right? Even under the assumption Aaron Rodgers finally drops the charade and signs, the Steelers need to make some sort of effort to secure a young quarterback. Howard, if nothing else, fits Arthur Smith’s offense,” Klassen writes regarding Howard as a fit for the Steelers. “He is not someone who should be a high-volume passer, which already leans into Smith’s run-first approach. Additionally, Howard’s best traits are his size and arm talent, which allows him to comfortably throw down the field, as well as ample athletic ability for a player his size. Smith’s entire play-action and boot menu would be open with Howard at quarterback.
“It’s hard to imagine Howard developing the down-to-down accuracy and play speed to really thrive as an NFL starter, but Smith’s offense in Pittsburgh at least would give Howard a chance to hide his weaknesses and lean into his strengths.”
Howard has been connected to the Steelers at times, though briefly. The fit, on paper, makes sense. He’s a big, tough quarterback with some mobility who could function very well in Smith’s offensive scheme. As Klassen writes, he’s not a pass-first quarterback, and he doesn’t have the strongest arm, but he functions well in play-action and on the move. He can add some QB-run elements to the offense with his toughness and durability.
Howard measured in at 6042, 236 pounds at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, 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.
That showed up on his tape throughout his time at both Kansas State and Ohio State. He came through in a big way during Ohio State’s run to through the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff to win the National Championship.
In his scouting report of Howard 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.”
That comparison might not get many excited, but Hasselbeck was a good starting quarterback in the NFL for many years, leading the Seattle Seahawks to Super Bowl XL against the Steelers, ironically. If the Steelers could land a quarterback similar to Hasselbeck who fits the scheme and the mentality in the city, that could do wonders for the future of the franchise at the most important position in sports.
Check out Kozora’s full report on Howard below.
