The Ohio State Buckeyes won the 2024 national championship and with it, Browns fans who are also Buckeye fans have started an online discourse about an intriguing NFL draft prospect, Will Howard. Browns fans, starved yet again for a franchise Quarterback are looking everywhere they can for a player that can be the next full-time starter of their team. The intrigue in Will Howard is justified. Will has the size, experience, and now the championship pedigree that makes him an enticing selection. Today I will cover Will Howard the NFL prospect, and determine whether Will would be a good fit for what the Browns have planned for 2025 and Beyond.

Will Howard the College Quarterback

Will Howard is a 6’4″, 235 lbs, 23-year-old prospect who has played college football for a total of 5 seasons. Howard, from Downingtown, Pennsylvania started his college career at Kansas State, spending four seasons with the Wildcats before transferring to The Ohio State University in pursuit of a national title. Howard has racked up multiple awards in his college career including, Second-Team-All-Big 12, Third-Team-All-Big Ten, as well as the Offensive MVP for both the National Championship and the Cotton Bowl. Howard has a career record of 29-14 with 9,775 yards, 83 touchdowns and 35 interceptions. He also rushed for 26 touchdowns and a total of 1,147 yards.

Will Howard the NFL Prospect

Will Howard will be a member of the 2025 NFL Draft Class where most experts have him ranked around the 5th best quarterback in the class. Howard is a talented  Quarterback who has the size to succeed in the NFL. Will’s arm talent is not elite, but that is not needed in a West Coast system, a system head coach of the Browns Kevin Stefanski likes to run. Howard has plenty of talent as well as “football smarts” to operate a play-action-heavy offense. What I mean by this is he can read the field at an NFL level and make the correct choice to limit turnovers. Will may not have a cannon on his arm but he does have the fennese and accuracy to place the ball in a receivers’ hands and away from defenders. Will also has the ability to run when he needs, something that is valuable to have in the modern NFL. The knocks on Howard come down to his low body mechanics being poor, some that could hurt him when needing to climb a pocket at the faster, NFL level, as well as his age being on the older side for a draft prospect. Make no doubt, the talent is there for Howard especially in a system like Stefanskis.

The Bottom Line

If the Browns, or any team for that matter have a plan for Will Howard to play in structure, have time to develop behind a veteran, and come into his own in the NFL, I could see Howard having a successful NFL career. That being said, Howard should not be picked above the mid-third round unless he has an outstanding Pro Day, combine, and senior bowl. At the end of the day, Howard is a developmental prospect, and teams, especially the Browns, tend to pull the trigger too early on prospects like that. If the Browns can let him settle into the league while selecting him with say, their second third-round pick or later, I think Howard is an intriguing quarterback with a chance to become something after some time in the league.