Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard was projected to be drafted much earlier than the sixth round. He was ranked as the No. 102 overall player on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board. So why did Howard drop in the draft?
The 33rd Team’s Steve Palozzolo believes inconsistency was Howard’s biggest issue. He had an incredible playoff run that led to a national championship for the Buckeyes, but outside of that, there are major question marks.
In addition to inconsistent play, Ohio State was absolutely loaded with talent on offense. Some evaluators believe that played a big factor in Howard’s late-season surge. Throwing to a wideouts like Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith certainly helps.
“I don’t know if there’s anything specific fatally as far as the flaw, it’s just inconsistency. The same description can be used on [Jalen] Milroe,” Palazzolo said on 93.7 The Fan. “There was some games where his accuracy is all over the place… He will overthrow receivers over the middle of the field a couple times a game it seems. And his arm is not great. It’s good. I think he’s been touted as having a big arm, but it’s not great. It’s fine. And the athleticism is kind of like a lower-end Daniel Jones.”
The Steelers rookie minicamp will take place on May 9-11, but Howard has already impressed the team’s coaching staff.
Howard, who is known for his acute work ethic and film study, wanted to get to work shortly after getting selected by the Steelers. Speaking to Devin Jackson of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Howard’s mother, Maureen, said the Steelers coaches gave him the weekend off despite wanting to get a head start on study the playbook.
“On Sunday, Howard reached out to Steelers quarterbacks coach Tom Arth for plays, according to his mother, much to the delight of the Steelers coaching staff,” Jackson wrote. ”[Arth] wrote [Howard] back and said, ‘Hey, we were going to give you the weekend off, but this is why we drafted you, because it’s the kind of worker you are.”
Howard’s high football IQ was put on display during his appearance on Jon Gruden’s QB Class. His work ethic, football intellect and leadership qualities were all features that were attractive to the Steelers.
“I think like a lot of people, how he responded to that adversity at the end of their regular season and the leadership and play making that he displayed throughout the playoffs was really attractive,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. “It’s really what NFL football is about. There’s going to be some adversity. How you respond to it defines you and your football team, particularly from the quarterback position.”
Gruden thinks Howard could be one of the biggest steals in the draft.
“I’ll go on record here. The Pittsburgh Steelers got a steal in Will Howard. Let me tell you something. That guy is a stud,” Gruden said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I think there are some guys that are pretty darn good...
