Howard compares favorably to Daniel Jones and Blake Bortles. He could go in the first round...but he probably shouldn't
I can agree with that assessment. He definitely should not be a first round prospect based on the other prospects in the draft. I would argue that Dart, Milroe and Shough should not be sniffing the first round either. My point was, comparing this second group... and I guess based on the temperature around the news cycle that Howard is actually in a 3rd tier. When taking these players into a comparison, I just don't see how Howard is expelled from the second tier. Here is how I see the QBs: Cam Ward, only first round grade I have, but he isn't in my top 5 players. That would be Abdul Carter, Ashton Jeanty, Mason Graham, Travis Hunter and Jalen Walker. This is not taking position into account obviously. Just my basis of positional strength. Next tier I have Will Campbell, Tyler Warren, Will Johnson (my #1 CB, ahead of Hunter), Tet McMillan (my #1 WR, ahead of Hunter) and then you get into the conversation of Cam Ward/Luther Burden/Omarion Hampton/Armond Membou. I know this last tier especially would raise some eyebrows. Dart and Sanders are late second round grades, but I have Howard right there with them. Milroe I have a 3rd round grade, and that is more based on an intangible skillset, not his passing skills. I also have Shough, McCord and Ewers in this round grade. Then to round out the QB hopefuls, I have Dillon Gabriel and Riley Leonard as 5th round grades.
Does anyone want to chime in on the reasoning for Howard? I thought this would wake up a conversation. I mean, I appreciate BWW making the post, but I was hoping for someone to come in and tell me a little more of why they don't think Howard isn't a top tier prospect, meaning second round or better grade. Even BWW, what makes him a comparison to those you mentioned? I just don't understand the late love for players like Shough, when Howard has done it at a higher level. I've seen some predictions that the Browns will take Shough at #33 or even trade into the late part of the first for Shough.. why the hell would you take Shough over Howard? Especially that high??? I'm talking about Howard, but I'm also hoping to take him at the top of the 3rd or trading up into the 2nd. None of this makes sense to me with the Shough talk. I will break my TV if they draft Shough at #33. I can't afford to replace my tv right now...
Right on Que, "Chucky" had this to say... Ohio State quarterback Will Howard is viewed by many as a mid-round draft pick, but Jon Gruden thinks Howard has MVP potential. Gruden, who is sitting down with quarterback prospects the way he used to do as a staple of ESPN’s pre-draft coverage, has released the first episode of his 2025 series, and it’s with Howard, who led Ohio State to the national championship last season. And Gruden compared Howard to the reigning NFL MVP, Bills quarterback Josh Allen. “You’re a big, dual-threat quarterback, aren’t you?” Gruden said to Howard. “That’s the MVP of the league. He’s a real big dual threat.” Gruden said that Howard, who measured at 6-foot-4 and 236 pounds at the Scouting Combine and had 26 rushing touchdowns in his college career, has Allen’s size and running ability. “How the hell do people not like you as the No. 1 quarterback in the draft?” Gruden said to Howard. “You’re like a young Josh Allen.” ___________ __________________ Gruden is a smart man...
Started typing up something on my phone yesterday and had to come back this morning and clear up my thoughts before posting... I think with Milroe, you have to try and breakdown the difference between what teams view on him when it comes to the perspective of the pure athlete. If you told me he was open to playing any position on the field, then he instantly becomes a top 30 talent on my board. He would be an offensive weapon and a third string quarterback to start his career, and if he develops as a passer, great. If not, I still have an unbelievable athlete to use as an offensive weapon in various roles. I know you're familiar with Terrele Pryor. How differently would the league have viewed him coming into the supplementary draft if he was open to playing anywhere on offense instead of openly stating he would only play quarterback? That's where we are at with Milroe. If a team believes they can make a starting professional passer out of him, then he is going to have a wildly higher grade than a team that simply believes he's a great athlete but will only be a back-up passer his entire career. Howard simply doesn't have the arm strength, high level athleticism or upside to be graded above Milroe, IMO. He's more accurate, and a more consistent distributor within the offense, but the upside doesn't compare. Shough and Howard are probably closer than what some would think, but the ball jumps out of Shough's hand more and if you put him within that Ohio State offense, I think a lot of what he does would translate at a very high level. The obvious caveat to that is we have seen Howard efficiently run that offense, and we have no idea if Tyler would be able to replicate that. I'm not that high on Shough, and the fringe first round talk is something that I can't get behind. I think Howard does compare nicely against Dart when it comes to anticipation and touch. He just doesn't have the ability to rip it and fit it when he makes a late read or the window/lane opens late. Jaxson does have that kind of arm ability, but I would like to see more touch from Dart on his throws. Jaxson has more athletic upside, but I think it's probably not going to be something he can lean on as a professional. It's good, not great, and Jaxson will need to learn to be proficient at going through progressions and getting the ball out before it's obvious that the receiver is open, because he tends to lead the DB back to the receiver with his eyes and a delayed throwing motion. I think Howard will be in the league for a long time as one of those accomplished back-ups that maybe have a spot starting role, but I don't see a starting NFL quarterback. To be fair, the only one of this second group that I think has a real shot at being a productive NFL starter is Milroe, but it's directly tied to his ability with his legs. The only two pass first quarterbacks in this class that I feel comfortable projecting as long-term NFL starters would be Ward and Sanders.
I thought Gruden was culture cancelled. He’s still doing these? Does this mean Howard is going to start magically climbing boards now that Gruden has spoke? He’s not wrong though!
So, a first round grade on Taysom Hill? I can dig it. I know the obvious retort is, Milroe has more athleticism than Hill, but I'm not sure I would agree. I don't know, but he had one decent season as a WR and never made an impression outside that single anomaly. "You never ask a zebra to be a dog" when asked about potentially playing another position - Jalen Milroe, He is adamant that he only intends on playing QB, which is the only position he has ever played. Percentage of completions 20+ yards Howard 58.14% Ward 45.34% Sanders 45.34% Milroe 39.29% Is this only because of weapons? I would argue it is a bigger feat based on defensive prowess. The B1G is the strongest defensive conference in the nation, followed by the SEC. When comparing Howard to Milroe, he doesn't compare because of athleticism... I want a QB, not a RB for one, but Howard can run.. maybe better than either of the top 2 QBs in this class. When I do a complete breakdown, I have Howard closer to Sanders, I don't have anyone else very close when it comes to passing abilities. Milroe enters the picture only because of his athleticism. I don't trust athleticism. I simply don't see the weak arm arguments for Howard. There is no indication that it is a detriment in any way to his game. What I fear the most about Sanders is the "me" part of his game. He would rather take a 10 yard sack than throw into a tight window or simply throw the ball away to keep his completion percentage intact. He wants to be known as the most accurate passer based on that stat, then take an inordinate amount of sacks in the process. He invites sacks with his footwork. He can grow out of this, but I just don't see a first round grade on him.
Yeah, we can disagree on this one. My point would still be that the league would have viewed him differently coming out and teams would have had different grades on him based on that distinction. Right, which is exactly what I said. If a team believes he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL, then they are going to have a much higher grade on him than a team that believes his potential is that of a career backup, based on Milroe not wanting to play any other position but quarterback. Weak as in my comparison between Dart and Howard? Because the video clearly shows that Dart has more rip on his passes. But that's not the issue. The issue is the ability to be out ahead of the defense when it comes to making up for times when the ball is simply not going to beat the DB to the spot. Howard doesn't have the kind of arm that can consistently do that, so he needs to always be making fast reads, resetting his feet and delivering on time. I don't see that in him enough to have a late first round grade on him, or to have him ranked in my top 4 QB prospects. I can argue him into 5th, but Shough, Howard and Ewers are all late 3rd, early 4th players on my board. I can understand the RB/QB argument. I just have Milroe as an elite athletic prospect that has extreme upside, so if you can put him in the right situation, coach him up and turn him loose, you could have one of the best dual threat quarterbacks in the league. Is there something you have read that relates his thinking on his completion percentage, or are you just prescribing that to him based on what you believe he was thinking? Genuinely curious, because I have not read that anywhere. Some of the sack issues are definitely on him, but a lot of it is derived from the offensive line he played behind. That's one of the reasons why his projection is tricky. If you put him behind a solid OL, in an offense that creates several options and immediate progressions, his high-level processing and accuracy should thrive, but you have to rely on 'should' doing a lot of work in that evaluation. I have to ask - Are you out on Shedeur to point that you would rather take Howard over him if he were still on the board at #33?
Then we are on the same page. What I think and what I believe are two different things. I believe there are going to be GMs that believe he can be a starting QB in the NFL, based on his passing skillset, because it is paramount to success in the NFL. Let me put it like this... If you took 32 GMs and put them in an anonymous poll, I believe you would get 25% that will come back and say they are convinced Milroe can be a franchise "passer" in this league. That's because he has the other tangibles that go along with it. Now, take the 32 head coaches in the NFL and give them the same anonymous poll, I would be willing to bet that number would drop below 15% that believe Milroe, based only on his passing skills, could be a franchise guy. Take it a step further and get 32 LEGITIMATE QB coaches, same poll and I bet it drops below 6.5%. That is why I am at a 3rd round grade on him. I need a QB, not a part time QB that can run efficiently. First off, I was comparing Milroe there, not Dart. I have Dart and Howard closer together, but different types of issues. I don't think Dart makes the best decisions. If I thought he could grow instinctively, I would have him as my #2 QB easily. Hell, I might already be there, but he definitely needs work on progressions. This is where we will disagree somewhat. I think Howard has good film reading the open spot and leading his receiver there. I also have seen him thread the needle if you will, to beat that DB, even in the middle of the field where it becomes more difficult. I don't have first round grades on anyone but Ward. Again, I have Sanders, Dart and Howard closer than most. I am not giving Milroe enough credit for his legs, simply because we have only seen it work in a few occasions in the history of the NFL. There are others that have had success running, but were also very good passers. I just don't see the skillset in Milroe. I agree with this actually, I just don't see the time frame to get him at a NFL level PASSER to fall within a 2 year window. In order to get him in the lineup as your QB as a late first/early second pick, he really needs to be in the lineup year two, unless you have a franchise guy ahead of him. I don't see him ready on that time table. Now... 3rd round or lower, absolutely. No, it's in the way he plays the game. Too many times, he is so far behind the line scrambling with no out, he tucks and falls instead of throwing it to the sticks. That is detrimental to success. We are going to disagree here again. I have seen way too much film where his footwork puts him in a position that hinders his line. If you don't know where your guy is going to be consistently, you can't do your job properly. He is all over the place dropping back and even less consistent stepping up into a clean pocket. A resounding yes... But, if I am being honest, I would rather see Dart than Sanders also. It is a much more difficult decision for me between Dart and Howard. Dart is going to make you pull your hair out, but I think his ceiling is higher than both. I just don't have much faith in this class at all.. I am resigned to the fact the Browns are taking a QB, I don't think they have a choice. At #33, I think there are going to be a couple of players that deserve to be in Cleveland that won't because of the pressure to take a QB. If I am forced to call a name, Howard is the one I have more faith in to be that 10th to 16th best QB in the league. I think 10-12 is his ceiling and 15-17 is his floor. Dart, I think he is capable of being a top 10 guy, but he could also be #32 in any given season. Shadeur, well, he has a lot of growth to get me to believe he is capable of top 10. I do believe he is capable of being an average QB in this league and I do think his floor is in the top 20, simply because he is so damn safe with the football. Get any of the 3 in the right system and they can have a season or two where you are glad you drafted them. I just don't see anything in any of them to think they are going to be a consistent top ten QB no matter what OC and system is in place. That is the reality of the NFL, QBs see a lot of different systems and coaches over their careers.
Honestly, I think your tiers are pretty dang good. Only changes I would make is pushing some of those IOL (Donovan Jackson, who I think is a Chris Lindstrom level prospect, and Tyler Booker who is also a great guard but built more for a power man scheme where Jackson is ideal for outside zone) and Emeka Egbuka in there somewhere.
I'm a Buckeye alumni, love the run this year, but yeah, I think Howard is in that 3rd-4th round mix in a tier with McCord, Ewers and Gabriel. I have no doubt Howard will be a better pro than some drafted in front of him. Probably a back-up who can pop in as a starter, make some plays with his legs and a few good throws to win games. Maybe he gets a stint as a starter. Problem is, teams are hunting for more than that. That is why Milroe and Shough are in that Round 2 mix and not Howard. Milroe stinks as a passer. But he is probably the best pure running QB since Lamar Jackson and can throw the ball on a rope. IF he develops, he can be a Jalen Hurts type of QB. That's worth the risk for a GM/coach who feel comfortable in their position to develop a QB. Shough is old, but he has incredible arm talent as well. Has been productive at every stop and halted by injuries (though nothing lingering). Taller and faster than Howard. Rips the ball into tighter spaces. Howard had the best offense around him in the country. Best WR group, RB group, and OL was up there too. A lot of his flaws were covered up. I think his arm is okay, but Out routes, some of those 9s won't fly in the NFL. The scripting in the playoff was so good, he didn't really work through progressions. In games where the defense held up and he had to (Michigan) with limited opportunities, it didn't go well. He really never had to go to his fourth read. Everything is just a touch slow with Howard. Dropback, release, arc of his ball. It's not bad. It's not good. And those are in the nitpicky range, but nitpicky enough that you aren't a top-50 pick. Could happen, I'll never say never. Maybe Chip Kelly has the inside scoop and the Raiders jump on him, but I'm not there I'm not a Shedeur Sanders guy, but feel like Howard is a bit of Shedeur light in terms of between the ears and throwing. Howard's size and tank-like rushing does add an element for the right offense.
I very much like Will Howard. Does he have flaws... yes. Did he have an absolutely stud team surrounding him... yes. I still think he's got the tools and the ability to learn/adapt to the next level and he's a darkhorse imo in this draft. Admittedly he did have a stellar support group offensively in Ohio State, but if he's drafted into the right fit/scheme and coaches... he will once again be surrounded with the world best players around him. I read an article on a predominately Vikings coverage web-site, that if he's still lurking around round 5, the Vikings would do well to snatch him up. I pondered that for a moment and thought, why not? Good team offensively, a head coach with a knack for developing and tutoring QB's, plenty of weapons... sounds fine to me. So, if Howard slips and survives and gets over looked, I think he would do well for someone needing a good pocket passer who also has the ability to take off and run somewhere in the mid rounds. Kinda fun to think about 2 BIG 10 National Champion QB's on the Vikings roster.
I am just going off the scouting reports I see on multiple sites. My guess is if Howard was in last years draft class he'd be seen as a late round pick. This year he's seen as anyone from a 2 to 4 round pick. Context matters and this draft class isn't that great. Watching some videos of Howard...I'd say the kid needs a really good coach that can develop him into an NFL game manager. Like a Shanahan with Purdy.
Well with only 14 days to the draft, I feel like I might as well hitch my wagon to one player. If I have to hear the national pundit talking heads compare Milroe to Hurts over and over, I might as well jump on Gruden's bandwagon and use the Will Howard to Josh Allen comparison, because he is as close to Allen as Milroe is to Hurts in my opinion, which is to say, neither compare to their counterparts all that much. That being said, Howard actually had a better college career than Allen all around. Does that mean he is going to be a better pro? Obviously an emphatic NO. But, he does have similar traits to Allen, including his pocket awareness and ability to gain yards with his feet. Allen had to work on his Speaking of Howard's college career: This goes both ways though, right? The portal is a new tool that everyone is getting used to... Tyler Shough entered the portal..twice.. and arguably downgraded his opponent value each time going from the PAC12, before it was dismantled to Big 12 conference and finally the ACC. Was he recruited to the best team in NCAA in 2024? Jaxson Dart entered the portal, but then stayed at Ole Miss the rest of his career...but... he didn't face a single top ten defense in 2024. Best defenses faced: South Carolina #16, threw for a 51.9% completion, 0 TD / 0 INT Oklahoma #19, threw for 73.3% completion, 1 TD / 0 INT Only defenses in the top 50 of the NCAA Jalen Milroe has been in the same conference, the SEC his entire career. He has NEVER had a statistically good passing year in his career. Best year was 2023, he declined in EVERY passing category in 2024. The only think Milroe did in 2024 better is run the ball. But he isn't being scouted as a RB. Howard on the other hand, entered the portal and went to the toughest conference in the NCAA, B1G. He faced the following defenses: Indiana #2, 84.6% completion percentage, 2 TD / 1 INT, ran for -1 yard on 5 carries and 1 TD Texas #3, 72.7% completion percentage, 1 TD / 1 INT, ran for 4 yards on 7 carries and 0 TD Tennessee #6, 82.8% completion percentage, 2 TD / 1 INT, ran for 37 yards on 5 carries and 0 TD Penn State #7, 67.7% completion percentage, 2 TD / 1 INT, ran for 24 yards on 12 carries and 0 TD Michigan #10, 57.6% completion percentage, 1 TD / 2 INT, ran for 10 yards on 4 carries and 0 TD Notre Dame #11, Oregon #15, TWICE, Nebraska #18, 81.3% completion percentage, 3 TD / 1 INT (I'll do this one non top 10 game since Sanders is a direct comparison) Iowa #20, Michigan State #34, That means that he faced a top 50 defense 11 out of his 16 games in 2024. Most other QBs in the NCAA faced half that opposition. Yet, he arose to lead the team to a National Championship. Milroe is the closest with 8, but the only top ten defenses he faced was: #7 Tennessee, where he had a 55.6% completion, 1 TD / 2 INT, ran for 11 yards on 14 carries and 0 TD... and #10 Michigan in the Reliaquest Bowl, where he had a 50% completion, 1 TD / 1 INT, ran for 7 yards on 16 carries and 0 TD. Let's take a look at Colorado and Shedeur, zero top ten defenses, only 2 top 20 defenses: BYU #13, 69.6% completion percentage, 2 TD / 2 INT Nebraska #18, 60.5% completion percentage, 1 TD / 1 INT Utah #29, 73.2% completion percentage, 3 TD / 1 INT Kansas State #43, 85% completion percentage, 3 TD / 1 INT Now... I know circumstances change week to week, however, Will Howard was asked to step up nearly every week of the season... Shedeur had arguably the best player in the entire draft to throw to in Hunter... I just can't justify Howard being behind any of these guys.
Last year's draft class had Penix ranked 2nd - 3rd round, all over the board, then went 8th overall(4th QB taken) in a class that had 6 QBs go in the top 12 picks. It is really hard to say where teams actually have these QBs rated/ranked. The pundits don't always get it right. I agree 100% that context matters and I don't think much of this class at all. I think I have stressed that over and over. My justification is against THIS year's class though, not last years. It's been stated by most that Ward wouldn't be in the top 4 QBs evaluated last year, yet he is going to be the #1 overall pick this year. I'm not sure what videos, but it is well known at tOSU he had complete control at the line of scrimmage and managed the play based off the defenses look. They had a lot of play call audibles. I don't know the status of the other QBs in this draft in that respect, but it obviously works with his success. In Stefanski's offense, it is extremely QB friendly. I would rather see a kid like Howard in Stefanski's offense than the other 2nd-3rd tier QBs behind Ward.
Former LSU receiver and 2025 draft prospect Kyren Lacy has died. He was 24. Via WAFB.com, it is suspected that Lacy died by suicide. Lacy faced charges of negligent homicide and felony hit and run after a December 2024 car accident that claimed the life of a 78-year-old man. A grand jury was due to begin hearing evidence in the case on Monday. Lacy played three years at LSU after starting his career at Lousiana. PFT/FOX
More details have emerged regarding the weekend death of former LSU receiver and 2025 draft prospect Kyren Lacy. Via ESPN.com, Lacy died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It happened during a a police pursuit in Harris County, Texas. Police, per the authorities, responded to a call from a female family member. She said Lacy had discharged a firearm into the ground during an argument. He fled in a vehicle before police arrived. Police chased Lacy. The car crashed. The police learned upon approaching the vehicle that he was dead. A grand jury was scheduled to convene on Monday to consider charges of negligent homicide and hit and run, arising from a December 2024 automobile accident in Louisiana. A 78-year-old former Marine died as a result of the crash. PFT
Pickett actually grades out better than all these QBs after Ward. Maybe that’s why the Browns went and got him . They HAVE TO get a young passer, they looked at grades and see he grades out better than anyone in this draft class. He’s still a young impressionable prospect. We might be scratching our heads when the Browns don’t take a passer in the first 3 rounds of the draft. The more I watch this draft class, the more I am convinced of two things… Ward should be the only QB taken in this draft class in the first round and Dart must be the second QB taken, not Sanders. His ceiling is much higher imho, despite the opinion that I don’t see him as being a starter 4 years down the road.
I think Papa Sanders has sheltered his son so much as his coach and might actually be his downfall in the real world with the game. He doesn't know really any other coaching style and that causes inflexible and resistant work mentality.
