Will Howard is joining Jack Sawyer in Pittsburgh.
He had to wait until the sixth round, but the national champion quarterback got the call from the league on Saturday when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Howard with the No. 185 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
With the 185th pick in the 2025 #NFLDraft, we select QB Will Howard. pic.twitter.com/tl0HQ3BaL6
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 26, 2025
Pittsburgh bound!! @whoward_ #exceling pic.twitter.com/MzFHlmHl2k
— excel football (@excelfootball) April 26, 2025
The Steelers also drafted Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer in the fourth round (No. 123 overall). Howard was the 14th Buckeye selected in the 2025 NFL draft, tying Ohio State’s school record from 2004 for the most selections in a single draft.
GO BUCKEYES GO STEELERS pic.twitter.com/xrSJAi518C
— Will Howard (@whoward_) April 26, 2025
Howard’s NFL draft selection comes after one spectacular season at Ohio State, which was preceded by four years at Kansas State. Howard led the Buckeyes to a national championship while completing 73% of his passing attempts – an Ohio State record – for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns with 10 interceptions.
Howard was at his best during Ohio State’s College Football Playoff run, completing 75.3% of his pass attempts (82 of 109) for 1,150 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions across four CFP games.
After proving he could deliver on college football’s biggest stage, Howard will now look to prove he’s just as capable of succeeding as an NFL quarterback.
“I believe in myself, man. It's not a knock to any of the other quarterbacks, but I think I'm the best,” Howard said after Ohio State’s pro day. “I feel like if you don't believe you're the best to come out this year, then why am I doing this thing? I'm confident. I believe I have what it takes to be a QB1 in the NFL, and whatever franchise takes me is not going to regret it.”
Howard has carried a chip on his shoulder since he was a three-star recruit out of high school, so his draft slide will only serve as added motivation for Howard to outperform expectations in the NFL.
“I still have that chip on my shoulder,” Howard said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I'm always going to have that. You know, I love being kind of the underdog and kind of coming from behind. I think that's where I thrive and where I want to be.”
Despite his fall to the sixth round, Howard landed in a spot where he could have an opportunity to compete for early playing time as the Steelers don’t currently have a clear-cut starting quarterback for the 2025 season, though they’re still expected to sign Aaron Rodgers if he chooses to continue his NFL career.
Howard was the eighth quarterback to be selected in the 2025 NFL draft, following Miami’s Cam Ward (Titans, No. 1 overall), Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart (Giants, No. 25), Louisville’s Tyler Shough (Saints, No. 40), Alabama’s Jalen Milroe (Seahawks, No. 92), Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel (Browns, No. 94), Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders (Browns, No. 144) and Syracuse’s Kyle McCord (Eagles, No. 181).
Howard is the fourth Ohio State quarterback to be drafted since 2019, joining first-round picks Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud.
