Picture swinging for the fences on two strikes at the bottom of the 9th and hitting a home run. QB Will 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 sunk or swim for Howard’s career. Boy, did he make the most of it. Of all the wrinkles and byproducts of the dominant Ohio State playoff run under Ryan Day, Howard was perhaps the biggest beneficiary. He found a new gear, airing that pigskin at an unprecedented clip. He 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. However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows for this national champ. The NFL is its own kettle of fish, and Cam Newton knows all about it.
He’s not even through the door yet, but the pressure may already be getting to Will Howard. As much as people deny it, recency bias is a thing. Owing to a brilliant playoff run, Howard’s draft stock initially saw a substantial rise. However, the sample size of this upturn, in the limelight of being QB1 for a blueblood, remained relatively small. Not to mention the stacked receiving corps he was throwing to with Ohio State.
Although some of the analysis around him has been lazy, Howard isn’t the perfect QB. There are holes in his arsenal. It wasn’t as bad as Sam Darnold “seeing ghosts.” But whatever Howard was seeing, it sure wasn’t his receivers during throwing drills at the Combine. He struggled massively. So much so that his perception and draft stock took a hit within minutes. Former no.1 overall pick and fellow QB Cam Newton has leveraged his thoughts.
Sure, the 3-headed monster of Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate papered over Howard’s shortcomings. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t have this trifecta at the Combine. Throwing passes to receivers he had no pre-existing relationship and chemistry with was certainly a factor in Howard’s poor performance. Cam acknowledges this and thwarts all myths surrounding just how important the Combine even is. Speaking over his “4th & 1 with Cam Newton” platform, the namesake said, “The thing about the Combine is this. That’s not going to make or break you.” He proceeded to elaborate on this and contextualize Will Howard’s performance.
Yikes: Ohio State QB Will Howard has gone viral for what fans are saying is the worst combine performance of all time.
Howard’s draft stock
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 2, 2025
“Howard probably had the best-receiving corps in all of college football. [He] just needed to] put it in the m**********n vicinity!” remarked Newton. That sure is an indictment of Howard’s quarterbacking. Whether he’s a force multiplier or someone riding the coattails of his supporting class. Alas, it takes one to know one, and Cam Newton was firmly a category 1. That said, he did throw Will Howard a bone. He said, “You’re in a situation where you don’t know the skill set, you don’t know the tempo, you don’t know who you’re going to throw to. You don’t know how they’re going to come out of their routes. You don’t know certain things. It’s like, do you blame him?”
Whatever the reasoning, an extremely inaccurate time-throwing means Will Howard’s draft stock did indeed get diminished. Overthrown deep shots and throws to the perimeter were a feature of his performance. A rationale of whether this was a regression to the mean after his burst en route the Natty has spawned. It’s hard to argue against it, too. Something Cam Newton also implied in his statements. Later, he did like the fact that Howard participated in the Combine and “competed” competed”—something not every QB did. *Cough* Shedeur Sanders. Cam made his feelings known, firing some subliminal shots at him and a bunch of others.
Cam Newton lauds Will Howard at the expense of Shedeur Sanders
Shedeur Sanders found himself in the midst of controversy during Combine week, as he tends to do. The seeds of which were sown over a fortnight ago. Shedeur took part in the Flag Football exhibition game on Super Bowl weekend. This participation was actually somewhat controversial in itself, given he sat out the Shrine Bowl earlier. At this event, Shedeur interacted with NY Jets star cornerback Sauce Gardner. The 2022 ROTY asked Shedeur a probing question about whether he’d spoken to the Jets during his draft process. Shedeur denied having a conversation with the Jets brass. This caused Sauce Gardner to go into a bit of a rant about Shedeur and his kin. Which makes all the more sense now since Shedeur didn’t throw at the Combine or partake in the drills.
“That’s what I don’t like about people like you, bro. People who really have motion at quarterback. Y’all feel like you know what’s going to happen already…your pick is locked in. I get it, said Sauce Gardner. Shedeur nodded his head in disapproval and explicitly denied having answers about which franchise he was headed to. “They are spoiled when it comes to quarterbacks. The coach literally tells you ‘we’re drafting you.’ They don’t tell you that at the corner,” continued Sauce. This was obviously said in jest. Shedeur likely didn’t compete in Indy just to avert the risk of injury. Not because he’s privy to the franchise that will draft him. Whatever the case, Cam Newton threw some veiled shade at his decision. As have a bunch of other analysts, ex-players, and fans.
Newton used Howard as a funnel for his thoughts on players sitting out the Combine. “Will Howard needs every opportunity that he can get to get drafted,” he said. “I just like m**********rs to compete, bro. We don’t cite all the other stuff. That’s okay; you get a pass. You didn’t know the receivers. Cool. I’m not expecting much. But you went out there to compete. That’s all you can ask.”
Not only does this apply to Shedeur Sanders, but it also does to the likes of Cam Ward. Newton was a top QB prospect himself and still got down to work. It’s natural for him to be frustrated by the current crop being protective of their bodies and reputation rather than put on a show. Well, Howard didn’t either. But at least he tried, eh? As for Shedeur, he’ll have to salvage his own up-and-down stock at Colorado’s Pro Day.
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