Should Cleveland Browns Consider Drafting Will Howard?

There may not be a single college football player who did more to help his draft stock during the first iteration of the College Football Playoff than quarterback Will Howard.

During the Buckeyes run to a title, Howard completed 82-of-109 passes for 1,150 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions. A number of those completions represented some of the best throws of Howard's collegiate career. A 42-yard bomb, dropped in a bucket to senior WR Emeka Egbuka against Oregon in the Rose Bowl, for example, stands out. So does the championship-sealing deep ball to freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith on third-and-11 in the fourth quarter against Notre Dame.

It took a lot of guts to make a throw like that in that situation, leading by just a single possession in the waning minutes of the game. That's the other part of Howard's game that's been on full display throughout a memorable playoff run. He operated the pocket and the offense with poise, never letting the tenses moments of the biggest games feel rattle him.

That aspect of his game is likely what drew Ohio State to Howard in the transfer portal in the first place. It will also be a major reason Howard climbs up draft boards in the coming months as well. Perhaps, even the Cleveland Browns draft board?

The potential link between the Browns and Howard will be a fascinating one to follow, beyond the simple fact that that he finished his college career just two hours south down I-71.

The pre-draft process could prove to be equally as beneficial to Howard as this playoff run was. Just how much remains to be seen. That's not to say Howard will thrust himself into the conversation at No. 2 overall, where Cleveland is slated to make it's first selection the 2025 NFL Draft. Only two signal callers in Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward are part of that conversation at the moment.

For Howard, a memorable campaign with the Buckeyes showed some pretty clear limitations in his ability. He threw the ball behind the line of scrimmage a lot – that's what happens when you have perennial Day 1 picks at nearly every offensive skill position. And while he showed some promise in being able to push the ball downfield, it's not something he seemed to do well consistently enough to this point.

Before participating in the Senior Bowl, the NFL Combine or a Pro Day at Ohio State, it's fair to reason Howard has at least risen to being considered a Day 2 pick in the draft. If the Browns decide to pass on taking a QB with the second pick, perhaps even trading down to accumulate more capital, and plan on utilizing a veteran bridge under center next year, Howard could certainly be an option for them as a second or third-round rookie QB they'd hope to draft and develop.

That doesn't mean Browns fans should be expecting Howard to become that franchise QB they've longed for since the team returned in 1999. At this point, it's hard to tell if he could truly become that player for Cleveland. But at the very least it would make for a fun story, and an easy sell for the organization looking to provide any glimmer of hope and excitement at the most important position in football.