With the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers have made all their selections, aiming to strengthen the team's roster for sustained success in the coming years. A prominent topic of discussion surrounding the Steelers' draft strategy was the critical need to address the quarterback position. Given the existing void in their starting quarterback role, many thought that the Steelers would utilize the NFL Draft to fill this crucial gap. It turns out they did so by selecting Ohio State University quarterback Will Howard with their sixth-round pick, the 185th overall selection.
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Pittsburgh Steelers' 2025 NFL Draft sixth-round selection and quarterback Will Howard prepares to throw a pass during the 2025 National Championship with Ohio State.
The NFL Draft always sparks a lot of conversations, and among those offering their insights is Brian Batko, a Steelers reporter. Batko recently hosted a chat session dedicated to discussing the Steelers' selections in the 2025 NFL Draft.
During this discussion, Batko drew comparisons between Howard, and other quarterback prospects chosen earlier in the draft. His comparisons suggested that the Steelers may have ultimately landed the most promising quarterback of that group, and Howard was picked significantly later in the draft than these other quarterbacks mentioned.
"[Will] Howard is a nice blend of upside and pro-ready. Whereas someone like Tyler Shough, at soon-to-be 26, probably a tough sell on having a lot of development left. And Jalen Milroe might be a year away from being a year away," Batko shared.
The Steelers showed considerable interest in several quarterback prospects throughout the lead-up to this year's draft, and Howard was among those players. Notably, the Steelers sent a group that included Head Coach Mike Tomlin, General Manager Omar Khan, and Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith to Ohio State's Pro Day.
This provided a valuable opportunity for Howard to interact directly and spend quality time with key members of the Steelers' front office, allowing both sides to get to know each other better.
Coming off a National Championship-winning season with the Buckeyes, Howard had an exceptional statistical performance. He distinguished himself as a leader in the conference across three key statistical categories in 2024: completion percentage, passing yards and passing touchdowns.
Specifically, during the season, Howard achieved an impressive 73.0% completion rate, threw for a substantial 4,010 yards, and recorded 35 passing touchdowns. Furthermore, despite attempting 423 passes, Howard exhibited excellent ball security, throwing only 10 interceptions—a trait that is highly valued by Tomlin.
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Steelers' sixth-round draft pick quarterback Will Howard during the 2025 NFL Combine.
These impressive statistics, coupled with observations of him throughout his college career and the pre-draft process, have created a lot of excitement among Steelers fans, leading many to believe that the team may have secured a significant value pick in Howard.
Selected in the second to last round of the draft, Howard was the eighth quarterback chosen in the 2025 NFL Draft, a quarterback class that was not as highly regarded as those of previous years. To illustrate this point, in the 2024 NFL Draft, a remarkable six quarterbacks were selected within the first twelve picks, whereas this year's draft saw only two quarterbacks taken in the entire first round.
Steelers Still Do Not Have A Clear Starting Quarterback
While the acquisition of Howard appears to be a promising one for the Steelers, it is pretty unlikely that the Steelers would immediately name him their starting quarterback. Given the outcome of their previous first-round quarterback selection, Kenny Pickett, who was chosen 20th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, the more likely scenario is that Howard will undergo further development before being considered for the starting role.
Although the initial plan for Pickett was to develop him along gradually, circumstances led to him being thrust into the starting lineup just four weeks into his rookie season, which ultimately didn't work out.
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Steelers Kenny Pickett had his worst game as a professional in a Week 11 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Despite drafting Howard, the Steelers remain a top potential destination for veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Numerous reports indicate that the Steelers have extended a contract offer to Rodgers and are currently awaiting his decision.
The Steelers' decision to wait until the sixth round to select a quarterback suggests that acquiring Rodgers is still their primary strategy for the upcoming season. However, the addition of a promising young talent like Howard provides the Steelers with the potential for sustained success in the years ahead, regardless of Rodgers' ultimate choice.
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