The Pittsburgh Steelers selected quarterback Will Howard out of Ohio State University in the sixth round.
Who is WIll Howard?
Will Howard was born September 24, 2001 in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He attended Downingtown West High School and was named the Maxwell Football Club Pennsylvania Player of the Year after throwing for 2,543 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior.
Howard finished his high school career with 5,308 passing yards and 48 touchdowns passes while also rushing for 512 yards and 21 touchdowns. Howard was rated a three-star recruit and received more than 20 total scholarship offers.
He eventually committed to play football at Kansas State.
Howard started his freshman season as a backup to Skylar Thompson and started the final seven games after Thompson was felled with an injury. Howard finished his freshman season with 1,178 yards with eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
He once again backed up Thompson his sophomore season and played in bits and pieces of six games, throwing for 332 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
As a junior, Howard began spring practice as the Wildcats starting quarterback, but transfer Adrian Martinez was ultimately named the starter. Howard became the starter for Kansas State during the season after an injury to Martinez. He finished the season playing seven games and throwing for 1,633 yards with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions. In 2023, the senior quarterback played 12 games and passed for 2,643 yards and 24 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. After the season, Howard entered the transfer portal and decided to play for Ohio State University.
He had a story book season in 2024 for the Buckeyes. He led the team to a National Championship and threw for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns in 16 games.
QB- Will Howard, Ohio State
6’4” 236 lbs
Arm- 32”
Hand- 9”
40 yard dash- N/A
Strengths
NFL size and toughness to take a hit
Good footwork and is comfortable working under center
Improved deep ball throws throughout his college career
Arm strength, understands when touch is needed
Processes reads fast and has an excellent football IQ
Weaknesses
Tendency to hold onto the ball too long
Inconsistent mechanics..had a terrible combine
Locks his eyes on receivers early and is not deceptive to keep safeties away
Can be very vanilla inside the pocket.
Throwing while on the run needs improved
What do the Steelers get?
First off they get a quarterback. Howard should not have to see the field in 2025, and the hope is he can continue to grow as a thrower. The team will need to work on his mechanics and his progression during the season will determine if Pittsburgh is drafting another signal caller in 2026.
(photo courtesy of Ohio State Athletics)