ESPN projects Ohio State QB Will Howard to be drafted after two players he replaced
Winning a National Championship doesn't automatically mean a team's leader will be more highly valued when it comes to projecting to the NFL. While the Ohio State Buckeyes were well-represented in ESPN's recent seven-round 2025 NFL mock draft, star quarterback Will Howard didn't see the boost he likely had hoped for. After all, Howard set […]
Winning a National Championship doesn't automatically mean a team's leader will be more highly valued when it comes to projecting to the NFL. While the Ohio State Buckeyes were well-represented in ESPN's recent seven-round 2025 NFL mock draft, star quarterback Will Howard didn't see the boost he likely had hoped for.
After all, Howard set a program record by completing 73% of his attempts, and he totaled a whopping 4,010 yards and 35 passing touchdowns. He was clearly an upgrade on 2023 starting quarterback Kyle McCord and even former elite recruit Quinn Ewers.
Despite that, ESPN's Matt Miller projected both Ewers and McCord to be selected over Howard. The long-time media evaluator projected Ewers to be selected 40th overall, while McCord came off the board at No. 135, and Howard at No. 143.
Miller only explained his Ewers pick, so we're left guessing a bit about McCord and Howard's landing spots with the Dolphins and Raiders, respectively. The Saints nabbed Ewers as a future replacement option for Derek Carr.
The McCord interest is understandable because he has a strong arm and can string together impressive throws when he's hot. His velocity is better than Howard's, but that's about the only aspect of his game that is better than Howard's.
Even with Ewers, it's not as if Ewers is more physically gifted, experienced, or has significantly more upside as an athlete. His best throws are more impressive, but his lazy mechanics and inconsistency under pressure are concerning.
Meanwhile, Howard has a better body than the other two and is more mobile. He doesn't have an overly strong arm, and he's not someone trusted with full-field reads consistently, but neither Ewers nor McCord are pre-snap savants either.
All three players have impressive efficiency numbers and have shown to be gutsy and tough presences, and they all deserve to be drafted. While I can't see McCord being a sustained NFL starter because of his struggles dealing with pressure, Howard and Ewers at least have a pathway to being viable options.
But should Howard have been selected 103 picks after Ewers and a handful of selections behind McCord? That is a tougher sell.
This isn't to say Miller will be wrong about his projections, but it's fascinating to peel back the layers of the evaluation process.
