The seven-player draft class of the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t have a lot of flash, but had quite a bit of size and physicality that the franchise added to the roster.
That was the goal all along, especially after the Steelers were gashed for 299 yards on the ground in the Wild Card Round loss to the Baltimore Ravens, capping off a string of five straight losses that ended a once-promising season in ugly fashion.
But within that mix of adding physicality and toughness, particularly on the defense, the Steelers landed a quarterback in Ohio State’s Will Howard, addressing a key position of need for the Steelers. Though the selection of a quarterback came much later than anticipated for the Steelers, landing Howard in the sixth round at No. 185 overall, the move has been lauded since the conclusion of the draft.
The Ringer’s Todd McShay praised Howard and the fit in Pittsburgh, while others are quite high on the fit for Howard and what the future could hold in Pittsburgh.
NFL Network analyst Gennaro Filice was the latest to praise the selection of Howard for the Steelers. In a piece for NFL.com grading all of the draft classes, Filice gave the Steelers a B- and called Howard his sleeper of the class.
“Like I said above, we all remain on Aaron Rodgers watch, assuming he’ll eventually join this roster. But Howard was discussed as an option for Pittsburgh throughout the pre-draft process, so it wasn’t surprising to see Omar Khan pounce when the quarterback remained available in the sixth round,” Filice writes regarding Howard’s selection by the Steelers. “A physically imposing guy at 6-4, 236 pounds, Howard looks like a Steeler signal-caller.
“His actual play over four years at Kansas State and one season at Ohio State was uneven, but he certainly finished on a high note, posting sparkling numbers during the Buckeyes’ four-game playoff run to a national title.”
The Steelers are still waiting on a decision from 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and should Rodgers decide to sign he’ll step in as the starting quarterback, with Mason Rudolph sliding into the No. 2 role and presumably Howard as the No. 3 and the developmental piece.
Ideally, that’s the best-case scenario for Howard in 2025 with the Steelers, especially landing in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme, which fits Howard’s strengths well.
Not only is it a good fit scheme wise, but play-style and build wise, it’s a good spot for Howard to land in. He’s that big, strong, physical quarterback that fits what the Steelers typically tend to look for. He showed that size, strength and confidence during his collegiate career.
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’s off to Pittsburgh, where he’s hoping to go from good scheme and culture fit, to a good starting quarterback for the Black and Gold. He could be quite the sleeper, one that develops into that starting quarterback for the Steelers.
If he does, what a pick it will truly turn out to be.
