Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard believes Shedeur Sanders' unexpected drop in the 2025 NFL Draft delayed selections for other passers including himself. Howard, who was picked in the sixth round, shared his thoughts during a recent podcast appearance. He recalled expecting to be chosen on Friday but watching the quarterback class stall after Sanders fell.
Speaking with teammate Christian Kuntz, Howard noted that Sanders' situation affected prospects like Riley Leonard, Kyle McCord and Quinn Ewers. “Him sliding really hurt a lot of the other quarterbacks in our class,” he said. Many evaluators had projected Howard for the third or fourth round, yet he and several peers waited until later rounds.