Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft rolls on with multiple notable names falling into the later rounds. Will Howard was one of those players who fell until the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him with the No. 185 pick.
Howard didn’t come into the draft with as much hype as Shedeur Sanders, who also fell to Day 3, but he was the No. 6 quarterback, according to PFSN’s Ian Cummings, and became the eighth signal-caller taken.
Why Did Will Howard Fall So Far?
Howard wasn’t expected to go before Day 3 until Ohio State’s College Football Playoff run began. In that four-game stretch, he posted 1,150 yards and eight touchdowns. Howard’s legs were a huge part of his game while at Kansas State, and he added 57 yards on 16 carries in the national championship game.
That stretch of games vaulted Howard up quarterback rankings and mock drafts, but seven other signal-callers heard their names called before him. The issue for Howard became how many teams still wanted to draft a quarterback?
Of the six teams that drafted one before Howard went, only the Philadelphia Eagles weren’t on the QB-needy list heading into the draft. Philadelphia selected Kyle McCord in the sixth round as a depth piece behind Jalen Hurts.
Howard’s size and creativity with his legs made him an attractive developmental quarterback, but no team pulled the trigger until Pittsburgh. The Steelers were on the QB-needy list, with Mason Rudolph as the only quarterback currently on the roster, and now they’ve added one in Howard.
Aaron Rodgers is still lurking for Pittsburgh, but adding a tough, big-bodied depth piece makes sense. Pittsburgh has been looking for a long-term quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Howard doesn’t project to be that guy, but goes to a stable organization.
Howard’s NFL Draft Scouting Report
Cummings broke down Howard in his scouting report, saying: “Will Howard will immediately win NFL evaluators over in two ways. He stayed at Kansas State initially when he could’ve left after a tumultuous start, and resurrected his career over the 2022 and 2023 seasons. And then, with his final year of eligibility, he reached even greater heights at Ohio State.
“Howard completed 73% of his passes for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, and only 10 picks, while adding seven additional scores on the ground last season for the Buckeyes. He quarterbacked the National Champions, which gained credibility on the draft circuit.
“At 6’4″, 236 pounds, Howard passes the eye test. He’s big. He has decent functional mobility. And his arm has juice and angle freedom. He doesn’t have any elite traits apart from his size, but he’s accurate, efficient, and a good processor. As a backup or spot-starter, he fits the bill.”