Ohio State QB Will Howard Predicted to Replace $150 Million, 4-Time Pro Bowler
It was a great season for Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, completing 309-of-423 passes for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and leading his team to a national championship win.
It was also the perfect sendoff for Howard as he now prepares for the 2025 NFL Draft, where Pro Football Focus ranks him as the No. 4 quarterback and the No. 112 player available.
In an ESPN mock draft, Field Yates predicts that the New Orleans Saints will trade up with the Washington Commanders, acquiring the No. 61 pick and selecting Howard.
“Derek Carr’s contract restructure means he will stick in New Orleans for at least one more season, but nothing is guaranteed beyond that,” Yates wrote. “Spencer Rattler flashed in his rookie season, but he’s no sure thing as a 2024 fifth-rounder. Howard, though, is accurate and mobile. He threw 35 touchdown passes last season, and he ran for seven more scores.”
Of course, Carr is set to enter the third season of his four-year, $150 million deal, meaning the Saints could have him remain as the team’s starter through the 2026 season.
However, there are worse scenarios for Howard than sitting behind a player who has enjoyed an 11-year career in the NFL, earning four Pro Bowl selections and even finishing third in MVP voting in 2016.
Considering the Saints will now be operating under first-year head coach Kellen Moore, it gives the Ohio State product more time to get a better understanding of a brand-new offense that not even Carr will be familiar with.
