The Pittsburgh Steelers may not have drafted “their” quarterback, but in Will Howard, they did add to the position. So what are the expectations for the sixth-round pick who led Ohio State to a national championship? Well, if he can rise to the level of Mason Rudolph, that’s enough to justify the pick for Ray Fittipaldo.
The Steelers drafted Rudolph in the third round in 2018. While the fact that he is still around is a good sign, comparing a sixth-round rookie to him is not. Provided that Aaron Rodgers does sign, Rudolph will be his backup. And he has spent his entire career as a backup, barring injury situations. That wouldn’t such a bad bargain for either the Steelers or Will Howard.
“I think if he could be the next Mason Rudolph—Mason’s in Year 7, he’s not gonna be that guy forever. If he can turn into that quality backup quarterback, I think it was a good move”, Fittipaldo said about the Steelers drafting Howard on the #1 Cochran Sports Showdown.
Many thought that Pittsburgh might draft a quarterback in the first round, and it had options. Everybody correctly assumed the Titans would draft Cam Ward first overall, but the Steelers had their pick of every other quarterback. They passed on them, including Jaxson Dart, the only other quarterback to go in the first round. The Giants traded up to get him, while the Steelers sat and waited for Howard.
While he has the size, Will Howard didn’t have the storybook college journey for the Steelers to scout. He really only developed last season with Ohio State, and specifically in the playoffs. At his best, he looked like a very good quarterback, but how much of his best will they get? That’s why they took him in the sixth round instead of pulling the trigger earlier.
The Steelers did try the big swing in the first round in the recent past. They had their pick of any quarterback 20th overall in 2022, opting for Kenny Pickett. While they didn’t hit with that selection, only one team seemingly did. And that was the 49ers with Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, which was dumb luck.
Do the Steelers think Will Howard could be another Brock Purdy, a late-round gem? They actually reportedly liked Purdy that year and had a mid-round grade on him. This time, they passed on the quarterbacks they had a first-round draft on and went with one with a mid-round grade.
I’m doubting the Steelers had exactly a sixth-round grade on Howard; likely more a mid-round grade. They could have waited further or just signed a college free agent if they really wanted to add a quarterback. But you can never set your expectations too high when you’re taking someone toward the end of the draft.
As for Mason Rudolph, they graded him in the first round, too, taking him in the third. While he has had his moments, he obviously hasn’t lived up to that first-round grade. Presumably, the Steelers recalibrated their evaluation process before drafting Will Howard. What that develops into, we’ll have to wait and see.
