He might not be viewed as a franchise quarterback moving forward, but the Pittsburgh Steelers’ selection of Ohio State quarterback Will Howard continues to garner praise.
The latest to do so is longtime NFL Draft analyst and current The Ringer podcast host, Todd McShay.
“I love the Will Howard pick. I love the Will Howard pick. I love the Will Howard pick because you know what, and I’m going to keep emphasizing this so people understand: when you’re drafting a backup, he is like an administrative assistant to the offensive coordinator and the quarterback,” McShay said on his podcast, according to video via The McShay Show’s YouTube page. “And you want a guy who’s gonna come in and is ready mentally and is mature and can handle those duties. And then those duties allow…they buy him time in practice in preseason to showcase, ‘Hey, maybe we got more than just a backup here.’
“We’ll see how he develops.”
Howard brings a great deal of experience to the table, having started 44 games in his collegiate career, including 28 at Kansas State and all 16 last season at Ohio State while leading the Buckeyes to the national championship. He displayed the ability to pick up a new offense quickly, too, doing so with Chip Kelly’s scheme at Ohio State, turning it on in the playoffs, too, and playing at a high level.
Now, he lands in Pittsburgh under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Though he projects as the Steelers’ No. 3 quarterback this season, assuming Aaron Rodgers signs and Mason Rudolph is the backup, Howard can learn and grow in the shadows and become more comfortable and confident within the scheme without being on the field.
That could be huge for his development.
Granted, he’s a sixth-round pick and there are questions about his arm strength and overall ability to handle a starting role in the NFL. But the Steelers got great value with Howard when they landed him in the sixth round at No. 185 overall, and now they have a young QB to invest in and try to develop.
It might work out great. It might not and Howard could be a career backup. At that point in the draft, no harm, no foul. But with Howard’s football smarts, maturity and overall work ethic, who knows where it could all end up for him and the Steelers.
