These NFL player comparisons would suggest Will Howard is not 'the guy'.
Will Howard instantly drew buzz when he was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Most pegged the Ohio State quarterback as an early-to-mid Day 3 selection, and Howard was considered a value selection when he was finally taken with the 185th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. But don't get your hopes too high; Howard has limitations.
Despite being a national champion quarterback for the Buckeyes, Howard has modest arm talent, both in terms of velocity and overall accuracy. This will undoubtedly limit his ceiling at the NFL level. Fortunately, Howard possesses excellent size to hang tough in the pocket and enough athletic traits to scramble and create yards when needed.
If you're expecting Will Howard to be the franchise quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, you're going to be sorely disappointed. But Howard has the intangibles to have a solid NFL career that could exceed what we'd typically expect from a sixth-round pick. You may not like these, but here are my high-end, low-end, and most likely NFL player comps for Howard.
NFL player comparisons for Pittsburgh Steelers QB Will Howard
Low-end NFL comp: Davis Webb
Davis Webb feels like a rock-bottom quarterback comp, but it's easy to see Will Howard end up with a similar career path in the NFL. Webb was a four-year starter in college who transferred ahead of his senior year and had his best season before entering the 2017 NFL Draft, which included 37 touchdowns, 4,295 passing yards, and 12 interceptions.
Howard saw a similar college trajectory. In his final season at Ohio State, Howard earned 35 touchdowns and 4,010 passing yards while throwing 10 interceptions.
Though Webb wasn't much of a runner, he showcased impressive athleticism at the NFL Combine despite his 6'5'', 229-pound frame. Unfortunately, the former third-round pick had a difficult time working his way up the ladder of NFL depth charts and never really broke free from the QB3 label. Webb appeared in just two games, making one start.
High-end NFL comp: Daniel Jones
This high-end NFL comparison should show you exactly how I feel about Howard's upside in the NFL. Outside of a somewhat promising rookie season, Daniel Jones has been widely considered a low-level starting quarterback. But if you can get a low-level starter out of a sixth-round pick, you'd take that every day of the week.
Jones is an intermediate-passing quarterback who lacks elite velocity and the willingness to push the ball down the field. Though Howard was more aggressive in college, that aggressiveness could be toned back in the NFL.
Jones can take off and run with the football, but he's not an instant accelerator, and he's a bit stiff-hipped when it comes to change-of-direction ability. This mirrors what we saw from Howard at Ohio State. Howard will likely never be afforded the same opportunity as Daniel Jones, but these players share a similar physical makeup with the same strengths and weaknesses in their game.
Most likely NFL comp: Mason Rudolph
After watching Mason Rudolph since 2018, this felt like an easy comparison to make. Though Howard possesses a bit more athletic traits and is better at taking off with the football, this skill may not translate well at the next level against NFL defenses.
At 6'4 1/4'' and 236 pounds, Howard is almost identical in size to Rudolph (6'4 5/8'', 235 pounds). This checks and exceeds the box of what teams look for in big-bodied pocket passers. Unfortunately, both quarterbacks share similarly pedestrian arm talent with a lack of elite velocity and only generally accurate ball placement.
Mason Rudolph has hung around the league for a long time as a QB3, QB2, and even a stop-gap starter. Howard is a film-room guy who has what it takes to stick around on NFL rosters, but his average skill set as a passer could make it hard for him to see the field with any sort of consistency.
