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Will Howard could not be on any more of a roll than he is currently after winning the National Championship game with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The offense practically did everything it wanted to at will against Notre Dame, coming out with the 34-23 victory in the big one. Howard was a huge part of that effort, and he continued to expound upon his 2025 NFL Draft stock. He was nearly unstoppable through the air, also using his legs to move the chains on third down when necessary.
And Notre Dame could not stop that, either.
Howard finished out the last game of his career, completing 17 of his 21 passing attempts for 231 yards with two touchdowns, also carrying the ball 16 times for 57 yards. He'll look to keep that level of momentum rolling into the next stage of his career with the NFL Draft approaching.
Here's a look at everything to know and how all of that could play out.
Will Howard 2025 NFL Draft Projection
Will Howard was a prospect who flew under the radar when he was at Kansas State, who did not find himself anywhere near the top of the list of quarterback rankings until he broke out at Ohio State. After finishing the 2024 season with a completion rate of 73.1 percent, passing for 4,010 yards with 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, Howard is now projected to be selected in the third or the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Before the 2024 season, Howard likely would have been classified as a priority UDFA. He has a chance for his draft stock to skyrocket further as he prepares for his upcoming appearance in the Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. It may sound like a somewhat bold prediction, but a strong performance here could boost him to the second or even the first round.
It would not be the first time a player has taken advantage of the opportunity to fly up the boards.
Will Howard 2025 NFL Draft landing spots
There will be a number of teams hotly in pursuit of the former Buckeyes quarterback. Here's a look into three places he could very well land with that could be good fits.
Baltimore Ravens
Could Howard eventually become the perfect backup (and perhaps even successor to) Lamar Jackson? There could be a fit here. It is also worth noting that Jackson is quite literally the only quarterback on the 2025 Ravens roster as things presently stand, so it will be essential for the team to add another passer, whether it is Howard or not.
The pure mentorship Howard could receive from Jackson would pay dividends as he holds the clipboard. There's very much an argument for the fact Jackson is one of the only true dual-threat quarterbacks, something that came into fruition once Jackson started to develop as a pure passer in a way that legitimately matched what he could do with his legs. Howard could learn from that.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams will be looking for a long-term replacement for veteran signal-caller Matthew Stafford sooner rather than later as he enters what will reasonably be the final years of his career. Los Angeles does not have a true successor in line, and there is nothing indicating that the team has full confidence in handing over the reins to Jimmy Garoppolo or Stetson Bennett.
Garoppolo is no spring chicken as a veteran himself, and even if he were to become the starter at any point in place of Stafford, he would be a short-term bridge option. Bennett just had his “true” rookie season after missing the entirety of his actual first year in the NFL under the umbrella of “mental health reasons.”
He has shown flashes, but there is no guarantee he will serve as a backup quarterback for the Rams in the long term.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns have had a perpetual issue in finding a strong and consistent quarterback that almost feels like it has been going on since the beginning of time at this point. With the injuries Deshaun Watson has suffered, the situation has become even more murky.
There are multiple things that the team could do at quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft, depending on precisely which pick they utilize to address it. If it's early, one could rightfully bank on it being Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, who has shown early-round potential since the beginning of the 2024 season.
But, if it is later on, Howard could be the perfect selection, and depending upon his performance in Mobile, teams like Cleveland may actually opt for Howard over Milroe.
Will Howard 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Howard's draft stock has only continued to go up throughout his career, and there is a lot that scouts and analysts alike absolutely love about him as a prospect. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network had a lot of praise for many of Howard's qualities, including his improvisation ability and escapability.
“He's [6-foot-3 and 7/8th inches], 240 pounds,” Jeremiah said on The Pat McAfee Show. “He can move around, he can make all the different throws, and he got on an epic heater at the most important time. … Right at the borderline of a top-50 pick for me at this point in time, but I'm telling you that because I haven't had the chance to watch his playoffs.”
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day also described to me after the team's national title game victory exactly what drew him to Howard as a prospect.
“Yeah, it started with me when I first met Will,” Day told me. “I saw something in him, a football IQ intelligence. I saw him play on film at Kansas State and win championships and win big games and be able to make an impact with his feet but also throw with accuracy and anticipate throws. And those are things that are hard to find.”
But it was also the intangibles that appealed to him so strongly.
“Then you see a guy, you meet him, and his football IQ and maturity is what kind of captured me,” Day continued. “I had a feeling that we would be in a situation like this where we needed his feet to go win a game, and that's exactly what happened in this game.”
It has not been easy for Ohio State the whole way through, and Howard's bounceback-ability is something Day commends. It will also greatly help him in the NFL as he faces the toughest professional transition he will ever face in his life.
“But what I didn't know was how special his leadership is and his resilience and his positive mindset,” Day said. “It's something I learned a lot about — I learn from these guys all the time. I've learned a lot from Cody Simon since he's been here, and I've learned a lot from this guy in one year. I've told stories about some different times in practice when he has such a positive mindset around the players.”
It will be interesting to see where Howard ultimately lands, but there is no question a team is getting a promising signal-caller in him.
