Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard has a wide range of NFL draft projections. The former Kansas State Wildcats quarterback was once mentioned among the other top signal-callers ahead of the 2025 NFL draft.

It now appears that Howard has some work to do in order to move back into this discussion. There is still plenty of time for Howard to improve his draft stock.

Through the first seven games of the 2024 season, Howard has thrown for 1,795 yards, 17 touchdowns and 4 interceptions while completing an impressive 74% of his passes. The Buckeyes quarterback has also added 91 rushing yards and 5 TDs on the ground.

There is a chance Howard could begin his NFL career as a backup. Pro Football Network's Ian Cummings has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selecting Howard in the fifth round with the No. 156 overall selection in his Oct. 6 NFL mock draft.

The Bucs just signed former No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield to a three-year, $100 million contract during the 2024 offseason. Current backup quarterback Kyle Trask is a free agent in 2025, so this could be a perfect landing spot for Howard to develop.

The Athletic's Dane Brugler outlined Howard's NFL outlook noting the quarterback is currently a Day Three prospect.

"Howard (6-4, 240) is a good-sized athlete with enough passing skills to warrant Day 3 draft consideration," Brugler wrote on Oct. 11. "He needs to improve on anticipatory throws and when layering the football.

"But with the NFL-level talent around him in Columbus, Howard doesn't need to be a superstar - he just needs to distribute the rock and avoid turnovers."

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