‘We Did Heaps Of Homework On Him’: Steelers Brass Dishes On Drafting QB Will Howard

It’s not often that a sixth-round draft pick commands as much media attention as Pittsburgh Steelers QB Will Howard, but that hasn’t stopped him from being the most talked about rookie on the team over the last two months. Omar Khan and Arthur Smith discussed the addition of Howard and what they liked about him coming out in the latest episode of The Standard on the team’s YouTube channel.

“We did lots of homework on him,” GM Omar Khan said. “I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with him through the process and getting to know him. Just can’t say enough about what he meant to that Ohio State team…The fact that he was able to just really take charge of that offense and that team in a lot of ways, it’s just really, really impressive.”

Many thought the Steelers would be picking a quarterback in the top few rounds of the draft, but they waited all the way until the sixth round to get one of the most impressive prospects of the class. At 6042 and 236 pounds, Howard has prototypical size for an NFL quarterback. And much like Ben Roethlisberger back in 2004, he has sneaky athleticism at that size.

He also has championship pedigree, which the Steelers value highly in the evaluation process. It’s hard to overstate how impressive it is for Howard to step onto a new team in the transfer portal, overcome adversity, and go on to have the spectacular playoff run he did at Ohio State.

“With Will, it’s really impressive what he did at Ohio State,” said OC Arthur Smith. “The mental component of it is really important. The mental toughness and effort, that’s what gets a lot of guys – handling the pressure of the position. To be able to do that week in, week out, not get bored with the mundane…And certainly with Will, you saw that at the highest level in college football.”

Howard had an up-and-down spring, but that’s to be expected for a rookie quarterback adjusting to NFL playbooks and defenses for the first time. He improved throughout the process, and finds himself in the ideal situation with a mentorship from future first-ballot Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the Steelers were pleased with Howard’s first several practices and could see a future where he takes the reins from Rodgers.

Talent eventually rises to the top in the NFL, especially at the quarterback position. The Steelers will get a solid evaluation of Howard in the preseason and in practice throughout the year to make an informed decision on how best to proceed.

The odds are stacked against him as a sixth-round pick, but not many sixth-round quarterbacks have his size, pedigree, and perfect situation to walk into.