Steelers Now
Former Ohio State quarterback Will Howard fell to the sixth round in the 2025 NFL Draft, landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers at 185th overall. Howard was ranked as the No. 102 overall player on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board, so it was surprising that he dropped that far.
Former NFL head coach Jon 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 in this year’s class. They just got to go prove it.”
Howard appeared on Ben Roethlisberger’s Footbahlin podcast earlier this week and shared one key detail that separates him from other quarterbacks.
“Something I like to hang my hat on is dealing with adversity. I think in my career, at K-State and then at Ohio State this past year, I’ve seen pretty much every situation a quarterback can see,” Howard said. “I started off as a backup, and I got thrown in as a true freshman and didn’t know what I was doing. I got benched, man. I’ve been the third-string quarterback. I’ve been a freaking starter, coming in and winning a championship. And then, you know, having a guy come in and split time with you. I’ve seen almost every situation.”
Howard’s high football IQ was put on display during his appearance on 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.”
In 2024, Howard led Ohio State to a College Football National Championship while passing for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and rushing for 226 yards and seven more scores.
Gruden sees some Josh Allen-like traits in the former Buckeye.
“I made the comparison to Josh Allen,” Gruden said. “I said he’s 6-foot-4, 236. I want you to get a feel for how big this guy is, and he can run the direct power plays, he can run the zone reads. He has four touchdown runs of over 70 yards. He won big at Kansas State. He won it all at Ohio State, and he can play in cold weather, which you got to do to beat Buffalo or you got to beat Kansas City on the road, and not a lot of people can play in bad weather.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Will Howard Reveals What Separates Him From Other QBs
