Steelers Now
In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers learned from their prior mistakes and avoided reaching for a quarterback in a bad class. On its own, that’s a good process, but will their patience be rewarded? Most have linked their stockpiling of draft picks to their likelihood of an aggressive trade-up next spring in the 2026 NFL Draft, in what is considered a stronger year for collegiate passers. But what are the chances that Will Howard, the team’s sixth-round selection, could be the franchise quarterback that this organization has been desperately lacking since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement?
After transferring from Kansas State to Ohio State for his final year of college eligibility in 2024, Howard played the best ball of his career by setting career highs across the board, including passing touchdowns (35), passing yards (4,010), and yards per attempt (9.5). Beyond the box score numbers, his play under the bright lights is what put him on the draft radar, helping lead a loaded Buckeyes roster to a national championship.
Now, he takes his talents to Pittsburgh to assist a team that hasn’t even won a playoff game since 2016 — and has a very unsettled starting quarterback situation. But even in the midst of the Aaron Rodgers saga, Howard faces a significant uphill battle to land the starting gig. That has less to do with Mason Rudolph’s return to the steel city and more to do with overcoming unlikely odds.
Will Howard with an aggressive throw downfield, hitting Julio Jones (I mean, Jeremiah Smith) on the deep corner. pic.twitter.com/AaH3V7ktm2
— Derrick (@Steelers_DB) May 18, 2025
Howard finished as my QB6 in the 2025 NFL Draft class with a late fourth-round grade, so the Steelers getting him with the 185th overall selection was good value, in my estimation. The strengths in his profile revolve around his size at 6-foot-4, healthy pocket navigation habits, and wonderful touch and accuracy, particularly in the intermediate area of the field. He’s on the older side for a prospect, but he’s equipped with plenty of experience (44 starts), with his final campaign coming in Chip Kelly’s offense with pro-style concepts built into the passing game. It should also be noted that he’s a former team captain that had no issue earning the respect of the locker room in Columbus.
But even after a championship run, Howard will now be on the hunt to defy the odds yet again. From 2014 to 2023, there have been 58 quarterbacks drafted in the fourth round or later, with only two of them carving out starting roles in the NFL. The probability of him becoming the next hidden gem turned starting signal caller isn’t great. The two notable exceptions to have accomplished the feat are Dak Prescott and Brock Purdy. Both of those have gone on to prove all the pre-draft naysayers and teams round the league wrong in their own regard, but it’s worth acknowledging the circumstances that helped foster their rise.
For example, Prescott was...
