The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Will Howard in the sixth-round of the NFL Draft. In 2024, he was college football’s most accurate deep passer.
With the 185th pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Ohio State quarterback Will Howard. The former Buckeye was fresh off of a championship run that included a senior season where he completed 73% of his passes, 35 touchdowns, and over 4,000 yards. What might have been the most impressive metric in his game was none other than the deep ball.
One of Howard’s biggest knocks coming into the draft was his arm strength. It wasn’t necessarily poor. Instead, it’s simply not elite like Cam Ward’s–the number one overall pick. However, Howard set himself apart in 2024 with his ability to complete the deep ball.
Throughout the entire 2024-2025 season, Howard posted the following when on passes of 20 or more yards*:
57.4% Completion Rate (1st)
27 Completions (T-7th)
930 Yards (9th)
19.8 Yards Per Attempt (2nd)
30.2 (Yards) Average Depth Of Target (18th)
123.9 NFL Passer Rating (4th)
A lot of fans might agree with Jon Gruden when he asked why he wasn’t considered more of a top quarterback prospect. Some will point to Ohio State’s strong arsenal of skill position players as well as a quarterback-friendly offense.
Regardless of these factors, the Steelers were able to get Howard and college football’s best deep passer at a bargain. Coupled with a strong ability to pick up yards with his legs and extend plays, Pittsburgh will have an intriguing player to watch in preseason.
Could he be a future starter as Ben Roethlisberger suggests? It may be improbable–after all, he was picked in the sixth-round. Depending on Aaron Rodgers’ long-awaited decision he could have an opportunity to showcase his talents in Arthur Smith’s offense as early as this year.
