He found himself on the board in the 2025 NFL Draft later than he imagined after winning the national championship at Ohio State, but the moment remained very special for Pennsylvania native Will Howard after he became a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Howard reacted to the Steelers taking him in the sixth round and 185th overall with a selfie video celebrating with his family after jumping into the pool.
“What’s up, Steeler Nation. Just jumped in the pool with my family to celebrate! Can’t wait to be a part of this, can’t wait to get to Pittsburgh and get started,” Howard said in a video posted to the Steelers’ X account.
The Steelers also released the video of head coach Mike Tomlin making the call to Howard, expressing his excitement to get a chance to work with him.
“Will, how you doing? Hey, man, this is awesome getting a couple of national champions, because you guys know what’s required, man. Congratulations, man, to you,” Tomlin said during his phone call to Howard. “You deserve it, your family, you guys enjoy your day. More than anything, just wanted to welcome you to our organization, man. There’s a couple people that wanted to say hello and do that personally, so I wanted to pass the phone along. Looking forward to working with you.”
That’s a special moment for Howard and his family, especially after the winding road he took to get to it. He went from Kansas State where he was a good quarterback in the Big 12, to developing into a national-championship QB in his lone season at Ohio State.
The fit with the Steelers is a good one as Howard is another big, strong quarterback who slots well into offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme.
Howard is 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, 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.
Now, he comes to Pittsburgh as a developmental player who could sit behind Mason Rudolph, and potentially Aaron Rodgers, in 2025 as the Steelers continue to help him develop and grow.
