The Pittsburgh Steelers decided not to be aggressive at the quarterback position early in the 2025 NFL Draft. Many believe that it showed a sign that they’re confident Aaron Rodgers will end up signing at some point down the road.

While they didn’t draft a quarterback early, they did snag one in the sixth round.

Will Howard, the quarterback out of Ohio State, was the pick for the Steelers. He is fresh off of leading the Buckeyes to a national championship win last year, and his draft stock took a huge rise from where it had been at the start of the 2024 college football season.

Will Howard #18 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after a touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half during the 2025 CFP National Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 20,… Will Howard #18 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after a touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half during the 2025 CFP National Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 20, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by CFP/Getty Images

Throughout the course of the year at Ohio State, Howard completed 73 percent of his pass attempts for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He also picked up 226 yards and seven more touchdowns on the ground.

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He has a lot of work to do to become an NFL starter, but the talent is there for him to develop in Pittsburgh and have a shot at playing time down the road.

Following being drafted by the Steelers, Howard has spoken out and revealed the team he really wanted to be drafted to.

“The Steelers, I feel like, is an organization that I’ve had a lot of respect for a lot of years, and coming into this process, I was honestly hoping that the Steelers would take me, just because I felt like it was a great situation. I loved everybody in the organization, and I’m so blessed,” Howard said.

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Leading up to his time with the Buckeyes in 2024, Howard played four years with the Kansas State Wildcats. He was good, but his game rose to another level when he joined Ohio State.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com has compared Howard to former NFL quarterback Blake Bortles. He has the tools to become a starter at some point down the road, but there are some concerns and questions about how high his ceiling really could be.

Only time will tell, but Howard landed where he wanted to end up. He has an elite work ethic and a great attitude and will be an excellent addition to the locker room. If Rodgers does happen to sign with Pittsburgh, Howard will have a chance to develop and learn behind one of the best to ever do it.

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