At some point in the next three days, Will Howard will hear his name called in the NFL Draft.
Howard, who led Ohio State to a national championship in his only season with the program, is not expected to be drafted in the first round Thursday night There’s a chance he could go in Rounds 2 or 3 Friday, but landing somewhere on Day 3 Saturday seems like the most likely outcome.
“You see him making NFL throws on tape,” an NFC quarterbacks coach told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero about Howard. “He has limits on his athleticism. You could argue it really comes down to preference when you’re looking at Howard, (Kyle) McCord and Quinn Ewers. What’s a coach value?
“The cool thing about Howard is you see him throw it with Chip (Kelly) last year. Chip’s come pretty full circle in what he’s done since being in an NFL offense. You see NFL concepts. You see playing him under center sometimes, which is a far cry from the Oregon days.”
Whenever Howard gets the call this weekend, his girlfriend Skyler Skoglund will likely be by his side celebrating with him.
Skogland was a fixture at Ohio State’s College Football Playoff games this past season, going viral in the crowd at the Rose and Cotton Bowls, as well as the National Championship against Notre Dame.
A 2023 graduate of Miami University, Skoglund has been dating Howard since at least the start of last season. She posted photos from Ohio State’s season opener on her Instagram account in September, spending time with the family and girlfriend of Buckeyes offensive lineman Seth McLaughlin.
Skoglund also shared photos of herself and Howard together during the season and following OSU’s national title victory.
We’ll know fairly soon where Howard will start his pro career. Even if he isn’t picked in the first round tonight, he still has immense respect from his Ohio State teammates.
In my eyes, he’s a first-round draft pick,” wide receiver Jeremiah Smith said after the national championship game. “Will is just a great leader, on and off the field.”
The 2025 NFL Draft will get going at 8 p.m. ET.
Related: Will Howard’s Girlfriend Posts 3-Word Message Approaching NFL Draft