The story of Shedeur Sanders dominated this year’s NFL Draft. Once projected as a first-round pick, the Colorado alum unexpectedly slid down the board until the Cleveland Browns stopped the fall by selecting him in the fifth round. Many compared his unexpected drop to that of the greatest of all time—Tom Brady, whom the Patriots famously scooped up in the sixth round of the 2000 draft. But there’s another quarterback whose draft story might mirror Brady’s even more closely: Will Howard.
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Like Brady, Howard stands 6’4″ and teams passed over him until late in the draft. After leading Ohio State to a national title, he finally heard his name called when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the sixth round, 185th overall—just 14 picks before the Patriots once took TB12. So, what caused his slide?
Many believe it came down to decision-making concerns. While Howard showed improved accuracy over the past year, there were stretches where he struggled to protect the football. He also had difficulty adjusting to post-snap defensive looks and, at times, failed to remain poised in the pocket.
Perhaps the biggest red flag was his low EPA (Expected Points Added) per dropback—a stat that raised questions about his ability to progress through reads and consistently deliver big-time throws. Still, some analysts believe he should have been drafted on Day 2.
Among them is Anthony “Tone Digz” DiGuilio, who voiced his frustration on The Pat McAfee Show, questioning the NFL’s judgment when it comes to evaluating quarterbacks.
“The NFL, they make a lot of mistakes. This could be another one of those. This could be big Tom Brady situation. But everything is going great, especially mentioning Will Howard. Everyone is saying he has been really awesome. We watched him be a great leader. Things are very hunky dory right now.”
Tom Brady entered the NFL as the 199th overall pick, buried on the Patriots’ depth chart as the fourth-string quarterback. At the time, New England already had a franchise QB in Drew Bledsoe, who had just signed a lucrative contract extension. The idea of Brady ever becoming the starter seemed far-fetched. But he persevered—quietly improving, climbing the depth chart, and staying ready. When Bill Belichick finally called his number, Brady seized the moment—and never looked back.
Will Howard finds himself in a more favorable situation. Unlike Brady, he joins a Steelers team that currently has no clear franchise quarterback. This gives the Kansas State alum a real opportunity to grow and develop.
Even more valuable is the presence of Aaron Rodgers—arguably one of the greatest to ever play the position—as a mentor. With Rodgers in the twilight of his career and no long-term stakes involved, he can pour into Howard the way he once did with Jordan Love.
Physically, Howard has all the tools. He’s a strong, dual-threat quarterback who fits the mold of today’s NFL signal-callers. He has the arm talent to make big-time throws—what he needs now is the confidence to let it rip, rather than defaulting to a conservative approach. That’s where Rodgers can make the biggest difference—helping him sharpen his decision-making and navigate the rocky early stages of an NFL career.
If Howard can soak up everything this year, he might just be ready to take over when the opportunity comes, just like Brady once did.
