Will Howard 2025 NFL Draft Stock: Ohio State QB's draft stock explored after CFP win over Tennessee
The Ohio State Buckeyes have advanced to the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff after defeating the Tennessee Volunteers and a significant part of their success has been the play of quarterback Will Howard. He has been able to lead the offense as a transfer quarterback in his first season with the Buckeyes. After five college football seasons, he will officially be out of NCAA eligibility and enter the 2025 NFL draft pool.
He has done well for both the Kansas State Wildcats over the previous four seasons as well as the Ohio State Buckeyes this year. Prior to the CFP, Will Howard has completed 227-of-314 (72.3%) of his passes for 2,860 yards with 27 passing touchdowns and eight interceptions while also adding 72 rushing attempts for 131 yards (1.8 yards per carry) with seven rushing touchdowns.
With his collegiate success, it will be intriguing to see how NFL scouts evaluate his talent. Let's take a closer look at Will Howard's 2025 NFL draft stock following the win over the Tennessee Volunteers in the College Football Playoff.
Will Howard 2025 NFL draft stock
Will Howard has all the physical tools to be a great NFL quarterback as he stands in at 6-foot-4, 237 pounds. He also has the arm talent to make NFL-level throws while both inside and outside of the pocket. Howard also has some of the most experience out of any quarterback in the draft class, having more than 1,100 passing attempts throughout his five seasons in college football.
There are some negatives, as he can trust his throws a little too much and put them in harm's way as well as the fact that he is going to be 24 years old when the 2025 NFL season starts. That is going to limit his prime years to develop into a star quarterback and could cause a significant drop in his draft stock.
While his talents have shown him to be a first-round candidate in the 2025 NFL draft, the age factor is going to be a tough thing to swallow for decision-makers. We saw this effect guys in the past like Stetson Bennett in 2023. Expect teams to put Will Howard as a third-round pick as he has shown to dominate, but taking an older quarterback in the first couple of rounds is a bit risky.