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Will Howard breaks down in tears as Pittsburgh Steelers draft him

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby:Grant Grubbs•about 14 hours•

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will howard (4)
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After a long wait, former Ohio State quarterback Will Howard was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the No. 185 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. When Howard finally heard his name called, he couldn’t hold back his emotions.

Surrounded by his family, Howard immediately burst into tears while lifting his Steelers hat to his head. Howard’s mom was the first to hug him, eventually joined by everybody else in the family. At last, Howard knew where his next home was.

Now, Howard will look to meet the challenges of the NFL head-on. It won’t be the first time Howard has stepped up when facing a tall task.

Howard transferred to Ohio State ahead of the 2024 campaign after spending four seasons at Kansas State. Some critics were skeptical and openly doubted that Howard could succeed in the Big Ten. Alas, it didn’t take long for Howard to prove them wrong.

In his lone season with the Buckeyes, Howard amassed 4,010 passing yards and 35 touchdowns while only throwing 10 interceptions. Howard’s arm wasn’t his only threat. The 6-foot-4 QB also racked up 226 yards and seven TDs in the ground game this past season.

Howard not only tallied standout statistics, he piled up wins. Fueled by Howard’s spectacular play behind center, Ohio State won its first national championship since 2014.

In Ohio State’s four-game run through the College Football Playoff, Howard tallied 1,150 passing yards and eight touchdowns compared to just two interceptions. Howard’s postseason play boosted his draft stock significantly.

“He played really well down the stretch,” an AFC executive said of Howard, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. “He’s a bigger guy (6-4 1/4, 236). He has some running ability. I thought he was going to be a little faster. But he kind of came on late. His arm’s, frankly, a little disappointing for his size. Not a lot of velocity and drive and zip on it.

“I thought he was more of a big play-action thrower. But then towards the end of the year, he made some plays off balance, different arm angles. I was like, F—, I didn’t think he could do that. Smart guy, really good kid.”

The AFC executive wasn’t the only who took notice of Howard during the Buckeyes’ playoff run. An AFC quarterbacks coach also believes Howard could succeed at the next level with a few improvements to his game.

“He’s big. He’s athletic,” the coach said. “Mechanically, that front leg gets locked. There’s a couple things you’d like to tweak. But he has the size and the athletic ability and the mind to do it. You’ve got to get him to a place where he can flourish there.”