The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Ohio State QB Will Howard as the 185th pick in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, adding a developmental option to the room consisting of Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson at this point in the offseason. Howard is coming off a National Championship run with the Buckeyes this past season, completing 73 percent of his passes for over 4,000 yards and 35 touchdowns, along with seven rushing scores.
Like plenty of other quarterbacks in this draft class, Howard fell into the later rounds, giving Pittsburgh potentially good value with the traits that Howard brings to the table. As our own Alex Kozora detailed in his scouting report on Howard for the site, the 6042, 236-pound passer has the size that you desire at the position. He also throws a pretty deep ball, having the ability to layer his passes and drop the ball into the bucket.
However, one underrated aspect of Will Howard is his mobility at the quarterback position. He can make throws on the run and also do damage on the ground as a rusher. During his time at Kansas State and Ohio State, Howard rushed for 1,147 yards and a whopping 29 touchdowns, and the tape backs up the stats that opposing defenses must respect the threat of his legs.
THE FILM
Outside the outliers of Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson, you don’t see many quarterbacks ripping off 50-plus-yard runs. Will Howard has multiple 70-plus-yard runs in his college career, an impressive feat for any college quarterback. He didn’t run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine or his Pro Day. Still, Howard shows off impressive burst and speed as a rusher, getting up to top speed quickly with his long strides as you can see in the two runs below from 2021, making it into the end zone in the first clip against Texas while losing gas at the end of an 80-yard scamper against TCU.
Will Howard is dangerous in the RPO option game when he’s at the mesh point with the running back. He’s a legit threat to keep the ball himself and take off if the defense isn’t accounting for him. Check out this run that Howard rips off after faking the give to the back. He takes off up the middle as he manages to step out of a diving tackle attempt and takes the ball inside the opponent’s red zone before getting gang-tackled.
Will Howard can also put defenses in a bind in the option game near the red zone, having the size, height, and burst to make a push for the end zone with his 6042, 236-pound frame. Check out the red zone scores Howard picks up below for Ohio State, faking the give to the back while using his speed to get to the corner on the first and third clips, while cutting right up the middle for the score on the second clip.
What also makes Will Howard dangerous as a runner is his ability to get to the corner, working around the edge with his speed in an attempt to challenge opposing defenses horizontally. Watch this run against TCU, where Howard fakes the give and takes off for the left sideline, working around the edge of the defense. He manages to pick up the first down with his legs before wisely running out of bounds.
Will Howard can be good for a big run here and there and is a reliable option near the goal line, but he can be used as a rusher throughout the course of the game as well. He wasn’t relied on as a rusher as much this past season at Ohio State due to the sheer amount of talent he was playing with, but he can be a difference-maker in the rushing department if necessary.
Check out a few of Howard’s top runs against UCF from 2023. He had seven carries for 64 yards and two touchdowns, ripping off an explosive run up the middle and being used as a goal-line option, getting in for the score on the final clip.
Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden recently praised Howard for being a draft steal by the Pittsburgh Steelers, comparing him stylistically to Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills due to his sheer size and mobility. When you watch Howard’s tape, you do see eerie similarities between him and Allen as runners. Allen is also a big-bodied quarterback with underrated athleticism who can give opposing defenses fits near the goal line.
HC Mike Tomlin has stressed quarterback mobility for years, and they got a guy who brings that to the table in Howard. Howard is an arguably better passer than Alabama QB Jalen Milroe and possesses more mobility than Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders. It is surprising that Will Howard lasted as long as he did as an athletically gifted quarterback with plenty of upside.
Pittsburgh will be entrusted with properly developing Will Howard, who isn’t guaranteed anything as a sixth-round draft choice. Still, there’s a lot to like about Howard and the skill set and character he brings to the table. The mobility is a nice added touch, and it’s exactly what Pittsburgh has been looking for.
