NFL Draft Day 1 is in the books, and a quarterback was at the crux of the discourse in the fallout. But what wouldn’t the understated and, might I say, undermined Will Howard give to garner some mainstream attention. Howard and his proponents in Columbus knew, heading into the night, that his name wasn’t being called by commish Roger Goodell. But let’s look at things in a vacuum. 6’5, 240lbs. A legitimate rushing threat out of the backfield who can move the sticks with his legs. None of his contemporaries in this quarterback class can claim the distinction of being a national champion. Why, again, was Ohio State’s Will Howard not deemed worthy of a first-round pick? 

Everybody loves an underdog story. It’s the elixir that keeps sports fandom ticking and gives it a pulse. One such story may have been overshadowed by the sheer magnitude of pageantry around the vessel that facilitated it. It’ll be naive and borderline delusional even to suggest that Ohio State winning the Natty is an underdog story—far from it. This is a blueblood where HC Ryan Day did his best Nick Fury impression. Assimilated a group of Avengers, breaking a decade-long championship drought for the program with their help. Quarterback Will Now Howard was no superhero, but he wasn’t a civilian either. He carried a chip on his shoulder while repping the Buckeyes, and he’s carrying it over as he ascends toward the NFL. But one guy is awaiting him there who understands the full scope of his contributions. As well as his repertoire as a QB.

There’s been some lazy analysis around Will Howard during this draft process. It often stems from the fact he had the best receiving corps. in the country at his disposal last year. But to leave your comfort zone at Kansas State, knowing full well the expectations on the other end of the bargain, and still deliver is a testament to his character and quality. Howard was key to OSU’s domination in the playoffs. You can have the best receivers, but you still need someone who can consistently find them. Howard stepped up his performance to rise to the challenge during the playoffs. His last throw in scarlet and gray, a perfected weighted deep shot to Jeremiah Smith, was a microcosm of how far he’d come. Every facet of Howard’s game improved at OSU. His offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly, who is currently with the Las Vegas Raiders, deserves credit for this improvement.

After Chip Kelly took the Raiders’ OC job, it instantly spawned reports and rumors alike about Will Howard joining him there. It makes a ton of sense. They’ve just traded for a veteran quarterback, Geno Smith. The franchise has a runway for a couple of years before finding a successor. Therefore, it would be wise to draft Howard, who can learn from Geno and potentially take over in the future.

Based on the available information, it appears that Howard is most likely a Day 3 pick. So this even represents good value. Howard’s got experience in Chip Kelly’s offense already. He’s privy to NFL-style offenses and has shown he cannot just hang with one but thrive with it. The links to Coach Kelly, in tandem with empty chairs in the Raiders’ QB room, almost assuredly mean he’s coming off the board at some point. Not going undrafted.

The sheen reflecting off Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate makes it difficult to truly judge Howard. Plus, the sample size of his upturn in OSU’s offense is small. Up until the playoffs, he was alright. But nothing to write home about. You can attribute that to the growing pains of learning a new system and building chemistry, but it is a question mark.

But at the core of Will Howard’s NFL draft stock or lack thereof, is this. He hasn’t proven that he’s a force multiplier who improves the players around him. Howard is viewed as a bus rider rather than a bus driver. Someone who just rode the coattails of more talented players around him. These negatives have prevented Howard from being a top-end, round 1 QB. But he doesn’t concur with this assessment of him.

Will Howard’s message to the 32 NFL teams that have passed on him

The best litmus test for an athlete is how they deal with adversity. As clichéd as it sounds, you gotta know how a boxer reacts when they get punched in the face. Playing for Ohio State can often mean you develop front-runner tendencies. However, Will Howard has dealt with and overcome adversity. The pressure of gluing together the most expensive roster in CFB history for THE Ohio State Buckeyes is high enough for one to crumble under. So is the setback of costing your team a game against Oregon after mistakenly running down the clock to 0:00. Howard didn’t crumble under this stuff; he conquered it. And he wants you to know there’s more coming in due course. Pre-draft, Howard made an appearance on NFL Films’ Hey Rookie series. During an excerpt, he’s questioned in a mock NFL interview setting around a straightforward but layered premise:

“What makes you feel like we should draft you? Why Will Howard?” he was asked. “I feel like my whole career, I’ve been overlooked,” remarked Howard. He spoke about how his mantra and outlook changed and he flicked a proverbial switch in his head after not receiving a scholarship offer from his local school, Penn State.

“I was trying for years. [When] I went to Kansas State, I said, ‘I want to prove those people wrong. I hope Penn State looks back and says, Damn, we’ve missed out Will Howard’ When I get to the NFL, I don’t want you guys to miss out on me,” he proceeded. Will Howard even channeled his inner Josh Rosen. “Every single team that picks a quarterback in front of me, I’m going to make it my mission to make sure that they regret not picking me.”

Chip Kelly knows Will Howard better than anybody in the league, down to every individual. In some ways, Howard is a factor in why he’s back in the NFL now. Who knows if this would’ve happened if the Buckeyes still had Kyle McCord under center? That doesn’t mean Kelly owes Howard a solid and needs to reciprocate the help by drafting him. But there is a tangible need for the Raiders at the position. Minority owner Tom Brady, who has a say in football operations (duh!), has to be willing to draft a quarterback. This is particularly crucial given the significant amount of draft capital they would have to allocate. If Howard is available to them and the Raiders still draft an alternative QB, it’ll really say a lot. He’d hope that’s not how the chips fall in Green Bay over the next couple of days.