As we approach the last few weeks before the commencement of the NFL Draft, speculation about where certain household names will land is at an all-time high. In the 2025 prospect pool, elite-level talent at the quarterback position is significantly lower than in years past, meaning some QBs could go higher than expected because teams are always looking for quarterback depth.
Will Howard, the national-championship-winning quarterback, finds himself in limbo, with many experts predicting the quarterback to go anywhere inside the second and third rounds. But following a high-praise comparison from his college head coach, Ryan Day, Howard’s stock could continue to rise.
Day Compares Will Howard to Hall of Fame Quarterback
Day, coach of the 2024 national champion Ohio State Buckeyes, had many great things to say about Howard as his quarterback looks to begin this next chapter of his football career in the NFL. But the comment that caught the media’s attention was his comparison of Howard to one of the best quarterbacks the league has ever seen.
"He's also played a lot of football and I think as a quarterback… that's one of the most important things."@OhioStateFB HC @RyanDayTime discussed QB Will Howard as he gets ready to enter the NFL.
📻 https://t.co/u2cRkasH7n#NFLDraft | #GoBucks | @SXMCollege pic.twitter.com/j376jHdx8Q
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) April 9, 2025
“I think everybody looks for comps, and you know for me just the size, its sort of like Peyton Manning when it comes to that.” Day said when discussing Howard on Sirus XM’s NFL Radio.
Howard, who stands at 6’4″, does indeed have that Manning-like stature, as the Hall of Fame quarterback measured 6’5″. Day says size and the ability to have clear vision when scanning down the field and over the line is important to him.
“He’s also played a lot of football and I think as a quarterback… that’s one of the most important things,” Day said.
Howard played five seasons of college ball (four at Kansas State and one at Ohio State), this may be too much experience for some teams since it also means Howard will be 24 years old in September. But this is not the case for Day, who sees Howard’s experience as a pro rather than a con on the scouting report.
The NFL saw it last year with Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, who also played five years in college split between Auburn and Oregon. Although it is no secret that Nix is the far more talented quarterback, could his masterful rookie season help Howard’s stock in this upcoming draft?
As a coach and recruiter of a national championship program, Day clearly has an eye for talent, given he recruited Howard as a transfer from Kansas State, along with the many other transfers he brought in that made a championship season possible. It is possible that Day’s comments also help Howard’s stock as we approach the day of the draft.
When and Where Is Howard Projected To Go?
According to PFSN’s 2025 draft prospect rankings, Howard is ranked as the No. 6 quarterback prospect in 2025 and the No. 109 prospect overall. That is behind Louisville’s Tyler Shough but ahead of Quinn Ewers from Texas and Dillion Gabriel from Oregon, two quarterbacks whom Howard defeated in the 2024 College Football Playoffs.
Howard is projected to be selected late in the third round by the Los Angeles Rams with the 101st pick in the draft, according to PFSN’s latest three-round mock draft.
A selection by the Rams makes sense for Howard, as Los Angeles has long-term uncertainty at the quarterback position since Matthew Stafford is 37 years old. Rumors surrounded the Rams’ quarterback situation all offseason, as many wondered if the team would move on from the Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Howard could be used as a safe backup option or potential starter in the future.
Could Coach Day’s comparison of Howard to Manning, the NFL legend, help raise his stock in this upcoming draft? With many teams in need of potential starting quarterbacks or even experienced backups, it is entirely possible that the college football national champion could end up going in the late second or early third rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.