Steelers add to QB depth on 3rd day of draft, select Ohio State's Will Howard in 6th round

On the third day of the NFL Draft and in the sixth round, the Pittsburgh Steelers finally got their developmental quarterback.

With the No. 185 overall selection, the Steelers took Ohio State’s Will Howard. It was the fifth consecutive player the Steelers selected from a Big Ten program and second in a row who represented the national champion Buckeyes.

Howard, a 6-foot-4 senior, joins a quarterback room that includes Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson while the Steelers await a decision from Aaron Rodgers on whether he will accept their contract offer.

Howard was expected to be selected a round or two earlier, according to NFL.com projections.

“It’s been long, but I’m not going to lie, it’s not about when, it’s where,” Howard said. “And that was what I kept saying to myself, and I had to trust in God and believe that he had a plan for me, and that the right team was going to pick me, and I 100% think the right team picked me.”

Howard had a formal meeting with the Steelers at the NFL Combine. The Steelers did not invite Howard for a top-30 visit, but coach Mike Tomlin dined with Howard and multiple teammates on the eve of Ohio State’s pro day.

“From the moment I met Coach Tomlin, I was like, ‘Man, this is the guy I want to play for,’” Howard said. “Coming into this process, I honestly as hoping the Steelers would take me.”

Howard spent four seasons at Kansas State before transferring to Ohio State, where he led the Buckeyes to a national championship in his lone season in Columbus.

In 2024, Howard finished second among FBS passers with a 73.0 completion percentage. He also was fourth with 35 touchdown passes and sixth with 4,010 passing yards.

Howard helped the Buckeyes rebound from their regular-season loss to Michigan by going on a 4-0 run that culminated with a national championship in the first expanded playoff format. He was the Cotton Bowl MVP and the offensive MVP in the national championship game when he had 231 yards passing and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 57 yards in the title-game win against Notre Dame.

In the four-game playoff run, Howard completed 75% of his passes for 1,150 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions.

“Any player, you want to see that,” Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said. “You always want to see how people respond to adversity. … You want to see those guys respond, and Will was in that leadership role. He played his best football at the end of the year.”