In this dead part of the Steelers’ season, it’s worth taking a closer look at the team’s rookie class. As we never got the chance to do a draft profile on Will Howard earlier this year at BTSC, here’s a scouting report-style breakdown on Pittsburgh’s new quarterback.

Position: Quarterback

Class: Fifth-year senior

Size: 6’4, 236 pounds

Age: 23

Draft round: 6

Stats via Sports Reference

There might not be a Steelers rookie getting more hype than sixth-round quarterback Will Howard in this stage of the offseason. While I’m definitely of the opinion that Pittsburgh got good value drafting Howard as late as they did, I figured it was worth taking a deeper look than the highlight reels flooding social media.

(Howard did have some undeniably fantastic throws in 2024, though).

At 6’4, 236 pounds, Howard looks the part of an NFL passer. His small-window accuracy isn’t elite or as consistent as I thought it would be, but his ability to layer throws in between zone defenders was a strength that routinely stood out. When he’s on schedule, his ball placement is a treat to watch.

“Robotic,” or something similar, is a word you’ll see thrown around a lot in Howard scouting reports. It’s an assessment I tend to agree with, and it’s not entirely a bad thing: With an impressive 73% completion rate in 2024, Howard efficiently distributed the ball to his group of talented pass-catchers all the way to a National Championship win. He made a lot of half-field reads and good, on-time decisions to make the most of the playmakers surrounding him.

With a good offense, that’s a winning formula. But it’s hard to talk about Will Howard’s 2024 success without mentioning his all-world WR1 Jeremiah Smith, who turned a decent number of not-great-to-OK throws into big gains. This was also an offense that included Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson, Donovan Jackson, and Josh Simmons, among .

That’s not necessarily a knock on Howard, but it has to be mentioned. He improved every year as a college starter, which is a good thing, but was also in one of the best situations in football last season.

Still, Howard got better over the course of the year, culminating in a great stretch of play during the College Football Playoff that showed off the upside he brings to the NFL.

However, while Howard doesn’t have any worrying physical traits, he lacks the “wow” factor that separates first-round passers from the rest. Out of structure, he isn’t the most dynamic, and in the pocket, he can get locked onto initial reads and there weren’t many instances of him moving defenses with his eyes.

Under pressure, there were some breakdowns in his poise and decision-making, and he doesn’t always have the ideal velocity you want to see on outside throws.

All in all, Howard’s above-the-neck game is good, but it’ll have to be great for him to reach his ceiling in the NFL.

Similarly, Howard doesn’t offer high-end athletic traits. His arm is fine by NFL standards but doesn’t pop off the tape; as a runner he’s big and physical with respectable straight line speed, but not a twitchy athlete by any means.

Howard offers some maneuverability in the pocket, but he’s not a playmaker when he takes off, getting caught early from behind a number of times last season. Still, he has what it takes to gain available yardage when there’s a lane. If you dial up quarterback power and the blocking is adequate, he’ll get you the needed three yards.

In Ohio State’s play-action-heavy offense, Howard was adept at throwing on the move as well.

Howard has what it takes to succeed in the NFL. At the very least, I’ll think he’s a fantastic draft pick as a long term backup. If he adjusts well to the next level and can grow as a processor, there’s some starting upside even if he lacks the high-end physical gifts you see in the NFL’s elite.

Strengths

Prototypical NFL size
Improved every year as a starter; played his best football in the playoffs
Adequate arm/athleticism
Above-average touch thrower
Efficient rhythm passer
Some great reps dissecting zone defenses
Displayed gorgeous deep ball at times in 2024
Tough runner who always falls forward

Weaknesses

Lacks elite arm talent; might struggle to drive throws into tight NFL windows
Not a twitchy athlete; needs a runway to escape pocket
Will need to show he can elevate worse rosters than the one he had at Ohio State
Needs to continue to grow as a post-snap processor

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com

Howard brings outstanding size and toughness to the table. He showed good improvement over the last three seasons. He is more a vessel of the play-caller than a playmaking talent, though. He typically reads half the field and makes reasonable decisions with the football, using good mechanics and consistent accuracy. He doesn’t hold defenders at bay with his eyes and lacks the arm strength to beat tight man coverage on second- and third-level throws. He showed good poise in 2024 to beat the blitz through the air and has always been able to escape pressure by making plays with his legs. Howard is big, tough and accurate but benefited from superior talent at the skill positions at Ohio State. Unless he proves he can play chess against NFL defenses, he might not have enough in the tool box to become more than an average backup.

Nick Ackridge of PFF

Will Howard has plenty of experience, and that will only help him at the next level. He’s shown that he can operate in a favorable offense that allows him to get the ball out of his hands quickly and to his playmakers. He also showed some moments of still being able to get the ball out of his hands in tight pockets and did a great job of avoiding sacks. However, since his arm talent won’t ever be toward the top echelon of quarterbacks, he’ll need to really up his processing ability. Every predetermined throw won’t be open in the NFL, and he’ll need to show that he can work to the backside of his progression smoothly and not force throws into dangerous areas. Howard might not ever become an elite starting quarterback in the NFL, but he can carve out a nice role as a reliable backup who can step in and operate an NFL offense.

Dame Parson of Bleacher Report

Howard’s lower body mechanics in the pocket are inconsistent, resulting in off-target passes. His footwork gets off schedule, and he is skittish in the pocket. After hitting the top of the drop, when he attempts to climb or hitch forward in the pocket, Howard can be heel-clicky. This results in a decrease in accuracy. Howard must find stability and consistency with his base inside the pocket to enhance his accuracy and ball placement. … He offers an NFL skill set but projects as a backup behind a veteran. Howard’s flashes of passing upside, along with his rushing ability, will be enticing to an NFL franchise later in the draft. … PRO COMPARISON: Mason Rudolph.

While Howard has some NFL-ready traits, I have a hard time seeing him challenging Mason Rudolph for the starting job ahead of the season if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t sign. Down the road though, Howard could absolutely find himself in the starting lineup if Rudolph falters midseason.

An underrated talking point is how well Howard played on play action last year, a staple of the Arthur Smith offense that wasn’t all that prominent or effective last year for Pittsburgh. If the Steelers’ offense steps up in 2025, there’s a chance Howard has some success.

Is that to say Howard has a shot at being Pittsburgh’s quarterback of the future? I’m not going to write him off before he’s even taken an NFL snap, but the safe bet is no — there’s a reason why he was taken on Day 3. But of that crop of Day 3 passers, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if Howard has the best career.

TL;DR: Howard is a big-bodied, tough quarterback who shined as a distributor in Ohio State’s superteam 2024 offense. His arm strength and athleticism are adequate, not elite, but Howard showcased some excellent ball placement and poise on the Buckeyes’ National Championship run. He projects as a good NFL backup who could see some success as a spot starter down the road.