“He’s got a great football IQ, he’s got great positivity, he’s a mature man who is going to walk into an organization and be a pro day one“. This was Ryan Day, endorsing his QB Will Howard in a recent interview and hoping the franchises draft Howard soon. Coming off a national title win, Howard’s confidence was brimming, and it was always expected that the player would make it to the NFL. Now, going to the NFL draft, it took immense wait and patience for Howard’s name to come up, but it eventually came.
Will Howard has been drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 6th round of the draft as the 185th pick. He joins his teammate Jack Sawyer, who was drafted way earlier in the 4th round, being the 123rd pick. Both the national title winners will now don that iconic black and gold and will surely contribute to the Steelers’ storied history.
Howard threw for 4,010 yards last season at an incredible efficiency of 73.1% for 35 touchdowns. Not only that, his dual-threat ability is an added bonus, as he stands at 6’4″ and weighs 236 lbs, he is a beast in ground plays. Just last year, the QB ran for 226 yards in total, with 57 crucial ground yards coming against Notre Dame in the final. The QB shared his excitement in a message posted on the Steelers’ IG account.
Howard looked ecstatic in a video he shared in which he looks to be going to enjoy the poolside with his family. The player said, “What’s up Steelers nation, just jumping in the pool with my family to celebrate, can’t wait to be a part of this, can’t wait to get into Pittsburgh and get started, Let’s go“. Ryan Day also acknowledged and celebrated the moment as he shared the photo of both Jack Sawyer and Howard in Ohio State jerseys, seemingly motivating each other.
Will Howard’s girlfriend, Skyler Skoglund, shared the same photo shared by Ryan Day and would certainly be ecstatic after Howard’s move to the NFL. Skoglund is a native of Excelsior, Minnesota, and an alum of Miami University. The duo began dating last year when Howard transferred from Kansas State, and the relationship became more visible as we saw Skoglund cheering for Howard from the sidelines and even kissed the QB one time when Howard was lurking near the stands.
What roles will Jack Sawyer and Will Howard play at the Pittsburgh Steelers?
Steelers drafting Jack Sawyer would be an ultimate steal for Mike Tomlin and the whole defensive unit. The Steelers’ defense struggled last season, as we saw in the team’s playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, where they allowed 300 rushing yards. Moreover, several players like Cameron Heyward look to be aging (36), which again will expose the defense. Jack Sawyer’s pass rushing stood out last season as he recorded 59 tackles, 9 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 4.5 sacks in 2024.
Sawyer delved into the role he is going to play at the Steelers. “I try to play the game as physically and as tough as I possibly can. Setting an edge and playing the run is all about manhood on manhood. And for me, that’s kind of who I am as a guy, as a man. And, I love the storied defenses we’ve had throughout Pittsburgh and the toughness they play with. And I can’t wait to bring a part of that with me.”.
Sawyer in total finished with 138 tackles and 20 sacks in his FBS career. As for Will Howard, he will be joining a thin QB room with Mason Rudolph, who signed an $8 million deal with the team, and Skylar Thompson, a depth prospect, but not a starter. Another QB veteran who is projected to come to the Steelers’ camp is Aaron Rodgers, but given the delays and speculation that persisted, the move may never happen.
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