Why Was Will Howard Drafted So Late? Unpacking His 2025 NFL Draft Slide

The NFL Draft, you know, it's always full of surprises and, like, moments that just make you scratch your head. Every single year, a player who many thought would hear their name called early ends up waiting a bit longer than expected. It's a very common thing, you know, for prospects to experience a bit of a slide, even after, say, a really impressive college career. This year, one name that has certainly sparked a lot of conversation and, like, a good deal of curiosity is Will Howard, a quarterback who, honestly, was fresh off leading Ohio State to a national championship victory. Many, many people had him pegged as an early selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, yet his name wasn't called on Thursday in the first round, and he didn't even go on Day 2 in rounds two or three.

So, you might be wondering, what exactly happened? Why did this promising talent, a player who had just achieved, arguably, the pinnacle of college football success, find himself waiting until Day 3? It's a question that, quite frankly, has been on the minds of a lot of football fans and draft analysts alike. This sort of situation, you know, it truly highlights the unpredictable nature of the draft process itself, where a player's perceived value can shift, sometimes rather dramatically, based on a whole host of factors that are, in some respects, beyond just their on-field performance.

We're going to take a closer look at what the experts are saying about Will Howard's unexpected fall. It's not always about a lack of raw ability, you see. Often, the reasons are a bit more nuanced, involving things that scouts and general managers consider very carefully when they're making those big decisions about who to bring into their organizations. We will explore the insights from, for instance, a well-regarded NFL analyst who has shed some light on the core issues that led to Howard's draft position.

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Table of Contents

• Will Howard's Journey to the Draft
• The Big Question: Why the Drop?
• Inconsistency: A Major Hurdle
  • What Inconsistency Means for a Quarterback
• System Questions: Fitting the NFL Mold
  • Adapting to Pro Schemes
• Translating Game to the Next Level
  • Projecting College Success to the Pros
• Analyst Insights: Steve Palazzolo's Take
• The Day 3 Landing Spot: Pittsburgh Steelers
• The Road Ahead
• People Also Ask

Will Howard's Journey to the Draft

Will Howard's path to the 2025 NFL Draft, you know, it was, in many ways, quite a compelling story. He was the quarterback who, basically, led Ohio State to a national championship victory. That's a pretty big deal, honestly, and it certainly put him on the radar for many professional scouts and, like, draft enthusiasts. Coming off such a significant achievement, it was, you know, widely anticipated that he would be an early pick. Many projections had him going, perhaps, even in the first round, or at the very least, somewhere in the early rounds of the draft. This kind of success, you see, usually translates into a high draft stock, so his eventual slide was, in some respects, quite unexpected.

Will Howard: Football Profile

The Big Question: Why the Drop?

So, the immediate question that, you know, naturally comes to mind is: why did a player with such a strong collegiate resume, a national championship winner no less, fall so far in the draft? It's a query that, you know, really gets at the heart of how NFL teams evaluate prospects. It's not just about the big wins or the highlight reels, you see. There are, actually, a lot of underlying factors that play a role in a player's draft position, things that scouts scrutinize very, very closely. The difference between an early pick and a Day 3 selection can be, like, quite significant, and it's usually tied to how a player's overall game is projected to adapt to the professional level. This is, you know, often where the nuances of evaluation truly come into play.

Inconsistency: A Major Hurdle

One of the primary reasons cited for Will Howard's draft slide was, basically, his perceived inconsistency. This particular issue, you know, tends to be a significant concern for NFL teams, especially when they are evaluating quarterbacks. A quarterback's performance, you see, needs to be reliable, game after game, play after play. While Howard had moments of brilliance, leading his team to a championship, there were, perhaps, other times when his play wasn't quite as steady. This kind of up-and-down performance, you know, can make scouts and general managers feel a bit hesitant about investing a high draft pick in a player, even one with clear talent.

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What Inconsistency Means for a Quarterback

For a quarterback, inconsistency can manifest in several ways, you know. It might mean, for instance, having a fantastic game one week and then, like, struggling with accuracy or decision-making the next. It could also involve, perhaps, periods within a single game where a player looks very sharp, only to then, you know, make a few critical errors. NFL teams are, basically, looking for someone who can consistently execute at a high level under pressure, someone who can, you know, be counted on to make the right plays almost every time. A pattern of varied performance, even if it includes spectacular highs, can, actually, raise questions about a player's ability to maintain that elite level of play when the stakes are, you know, incredibly high in the professional game. This is, arguably, a very big deal for any team considering a quarterback early in the draft.

System Questions: Fitting the NFL Mold

Another factor that, you know, played a part in Howard's draft slide involved questions about the system he played in at Ohio State. College football offenses, you see, can sometimes be quite different from the schemes and playbooks used in the NFL. Some college systems, for instance, might simplify reads for quarterbacks or rely heavily on specific types of plays that don't, perhaps, translate directly to the professional game. Scouts are, basically, always trying to figure out how much of a player's success is due to their own individual talent and how much is, in some respects, a product of the specific offensive system they were operating within. This is, you know, a very common concern for college quarterbacks entering the draft.

Adapting to Pro Schemes

The transition from a college system to an NFL one can be, like, a very significant hurdle for many young quarterbacks. Professional offenses often demand a much quicker processing of information, a wider range of reads, and a greater understanding of complex defensive schemes. If a scout feels that a player's college system didn't adequately prepare them for these demands, or if it, perhaps, masked some areas where the player might need more development, it can, you know, certainly impact their draft stock. Teams want players who can, basically, hit the ground running, or at least, adapt fairly quickly, and any perceived difficulties in that area can make them, you know, think twice about an early selection. It's about, you know, projecting future success, not just past performance.

Translating Game to the Next Level

Beyond inconsistency and system questions, scouts also had concerns about how Will Howard's game would, you know, truly translate to the NFL. This particular aspect of evaluation is, arguably, one of the most challenging parts of the draft process. A player might look absolutely dominant in college, but the speed, strength, and overall complexity of the professional game are, you know, on a completely different level. What works against college defenses might not, perhaps, be as effective against NFL talent. This is, you know, a very real consideration for every prospect.

Projecting College Success to the Pros

Scouts spend a lot of time, you know, trying to project how a player's physical tools, their mental processing, and their overall playing style will hold up against professional competition. For quarterbacks, this means assessing arm strength, accuracy under pressure, decision-making speed, and the ability to, like, extend plays. If there are doubts about any of these areas, or if a player's success seems, in some respects, tied to factors that won't be present in the NFL, it can, you know, lead to a lower draft grade. It's about, you know, seeing beyond the college stats and trying to envision how a player will perform on Sundays. This is, basically, a very critical part of the evaluation process.

Analyst Insights: Steve Palazzolo's Take

Steve Palazzolo, an NFL draft analyst from The 33rd Team, has, you know, offered some very clear insights into why Will Howard fell so far in the 2025 NFL Draft. According to Palazzolo, who, you know, joined 93.7 The Fan to discuss the situation, the slide wasn't, actually, about a lack of talent. This is, arguably, a very important distinction to make. He believes Howard possesses the raw ability, which is, you know, something many scouts would agree on. However, Palazzolo pointed directly to inconsistency, the system questions we've discussed, and those lingering concerns from scouts about how Howard's game would, you know, truly translate to the NFL as the core reasons for his drop. This perspective, you know, really aligns with the general consensus among draft analysts who follow these things very closely. You can learn more about NFL draft analysis from reputable sources like The 33rd Team, for instance.

The Day 3 Landing Spot: Pittsburgh Steelers

Ultimately, after what was, you know, a longer wait than many anticipated, Will Howard was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. This particular landing spot, you know, offers him an opportunity to develop within an established NFL franchise. While a Day 3 selection isn't what many projected for him, especially after leading Ohio State to a national championship, it does mean he has a chance to prove himself at the professional level. The Steelers, you know, are known for their ability to develop talent, and this could be, in some respects, a very good fit for a player looking to overcome those pre-draft concerns. It's, basically, a fresh start, you know, for him.

The Road Ahead

For Will Howard, the journey is, you know, just beginning in the NFL. Being drafted on Day 3 means he'll have to, basically, work even harder to show that he can overcome the issues that caused his draft slide. It's a chance to, you know, refine his game, address those areas of inconsistency, and prove that his talent can, indeed, translate effectively to the professional level. Many players who are drafted later in the draft have, you know, gone on to have very successful careers, so this is, in some respects, not the end of the story. It's, you know, more like a new chapter, one where he can, arguably, exceed expectations. Learn more about quarterback development on our site, and link to this page for more draft insights.

People Also Ask

Here are some common questions people have about players like Will Howard and their draft journeys:

1. Does winning a national championship guarantee an early draft pick?
Not always, you know. While leading a team to a national championship is, basically, a huge accomplishment and certainly boosts a player's profile, it doesn't, you know, automatically guarantee an early draft selection. Scouts look at a player's individual skills, how their game projects to the NFL, and their consistency, among other factors. It's, you know, a very comprehensive evaluation process.

2. What are "system questions" in NFL draft analysis?
"System questions," you know, refer to concerns scouts have about how a player's college offensive or defensive scheme might have, perhaps, influenced their performance. They want to know if a player's success was, you know, heavily reliant on a specific college system that won't be replicated in the NFL, or if their skills will, you know, translate effectively to a professional scheme. It's about, basically, separating the player's talent from the system they played in.

3. Can a Day 3 draft pick still become a successful NFL player?
Absolutely, you know. Many players drafted on Day 3, or even as undrafted free agents, have gone on to have very successful and, you know, even Pro Bowl careers in the NFL. It requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and a willingness to, basically, improve constantly. The draft position is just, you know, the starting point, not the entire story of a player's professional journey.