Will Howard’s tryst with fate is complete. Picture swinging for the fences on two strikes at the bottom of the 9th and hitting a home run. Howard had one last shot when he left Kansas State and entered the transfer portal. As often as this cliché gets thrown around, this season was truly make or break for Will Howard’s career. Getting to Columbus to play for the blueblood Ohio State Buckeyes was a good omen, but boy, did he make the most of it. He bows out of CFB as a national champ, ready to move up a rung on the proverbial footballing ladder to the NFL.

Of all the wrinkles and byproducts of this dominant Buckeyes’ playoff run, Howard was perhaps the biggest beneficiary. He found a new gear, airing that pigskin at an unprecedented clip. Will Howard showed poise in the biggest spots, including some crucial 3rd and 4th downs. The very last throw in the Natty was a microcosm of his performances throughout. Jeremiah Smith and the rest of the receiving corps. may have taken most of the plaudits. But don’t sleep on Will Howard’s facilitation. As much as people deny it, recency bias is a thing. Owing to a brilliant CFP run, Howard’s draft stock saw a substantial rise. However, the sample size of this upturn remains relatively small. One person reckons they see through the mirage surrounding Will Howard.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows for Howard. Although some of the analysis around him has been lazy, Howard isn’t the perfect QB. There are holes in his arsenal. Some of these were unpacked and dissected by Giants fan Drew Davis in light of soft links between Howard and the franchise. There is a rationale that the Giants forgo drafting a QB with the 3rd pick and address the issue later on. Although Will Howard presents an appealing alternative, Davis remains uncertain about his potential as a starting-caliber NFL signal caller. He leveraged his thoughts over his “2 Giant Goofballs” podcast.

Davis pointed to 3 issues in particular: the unorthodox throwing mechanics, accuracy, and pocket presence/post-snap adjustment. “[Will Howard] does throw a deep b*ll that is very nicely thrown typically, but he doesn’t do it very often. He’s not really polished. The mechanics and some of the accuracy issues he can sometimes have.” remarked Davis. He proceeded to delve into the facet that would become most glaring if he played behind the Giants’ substandard O-line. 

“Some of that [stuff], I feel like, he kind of hears little footsteps. Sometimes, he hears a guy coming that’s not really coming. Or he doesn’t just trust his offensive line to pick up, Which could be a scary thing if he goes to the Giants, to be very frank there. Because you kind of hear footsteps, because there are footsteps!” he exclaimed.

The Giants are likely to pick a QB on Day 1 itself, with a couple of contenders head-to-head. That acknowledged, there is still a market for the relatively experienced Will Howard. A National winner, after all, with deep playoff runs under his belt. This segues into why one AFC team consistently coming up short in the big moments is eyeing him.

NY Giants joined by cross-conference AFC side in weighing up Will Howard

Prospects yearn for a situation and franchise conducive to growth coming out of college. Especially quarterbacks who are malleable and can be shaped into whatever archetype the organization requires of them. Will Howard is being touted by a franchise with a Super Bowl-winning coach and a future gold jacket. As well as a QB whom he can learn behind, who’s also a Super Bowl winner and likely HOFer, too. Sounds like the perfect progression plan, right? Except, their famous culture is slowly dissipating. One that was never built around offense in the first place. Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers are believed to be in the fray for Will Howard.

This notion stemmed from Steelers insider Gerry Dulac saying it’s “likely” the franchise will draft a QB on Day 3. They have Russell Wilson on a very cheap deal (for them at least, sorry, Broncos!) as well as Justin Fields waiting in the wings. If Tomlin decides to move away from Russ, Howard offers a similar dynamic. The Steelers’ offense depended heavily on deep moon-b*lls last season. That is the one thing Howard is great at. Plus, they can have the alternative rushing threat of Justin Fields. If Russell Wilson departs and Fields is QB1 immediately, Howard can provide an experienced head as a backup in the quarterback room. Hardly anybody expects him to be a year 1 starter. The Steelers have been linked with a different QB more persistently.

Franchises who are eyeing a QB2 who can slot in seamlessly under center could do worse than onboard Will Howard. Yes, he’ll likely have to bide his time as a backup, but he will probably be a mid- to late-round pick. A risk worth taking if he can continue the development he showed in Columbus this season. Maybe having multiple franchises chase him means Howard goes earlier in the draft than expected, as teams “bid” for him by trading up for earlier picks. This is all conjecture, though. The Combine next month provides Howard with an opportunity to make real inroads into the front offices’ hive minds. He has indeed been invited to Indy.