Will Howard NFL Draft Stock: Ohio State QB's potential landing spots explored

With another big win in the College Football Playoff, quarterback Will Howard's NFL draft situation gets even more complicated. NFL personnel tend to like, but not love, the Ohio State passer. Howard is a 6-foot-4 passer who is an agile runner and has looked great at the Buckeyes.

But the skeptics underline the last three words at the end of that sentence. Even armchair quarterbacks could probably put up healthy stat lines surrounded by NFL picks in Columbus. Howard was a good, but not superhuman, QB in a more normal environment at Kansas State before his transfer to OSU.

His NFL situation is cloudy. Will Howard is considered a big step back from the top two eligible QBs, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. He's probably also a step behind some higher-upside question marks like Jalen Milroe and Quinn Ewers. He is a step ahead of pluggers like Riley Leonard or Kyle McCord. But here are three teams that might end up taking a shot on Howard.

Top 3 NFL landing spots for Will Howard

Howard's popularity certainly won't hurt his NFL stock among teams that could give a mid-round pick a shot. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

#3. Miami Dolphins

There's a conditional element to this pick. The Dolphins have obviously gone all in on Tua Tagovailoa. But poor Tagovailoa seems eternally reduced to a withering mass of concussion. For a young QB, Tagovailoa has spent an alarming amount of his career in varied states of semi-consciousness. He seems perpetually one play away from a legitimate health crisis.

Picking Will Howard would be a way to get ahead of the issue. If Howard develops into a quality QB2, he could replace Tagovailoa, or if nothing else, be some incredibly valuable trade bait. But it's the possibility of losing Tagovailoa from the NFL that makes Howard a risk the Dolphins might take in a mid- to late-round pick.

#2. Indianapolis Colts

Nobody wants to say it yet, but Anthony Richardson is trending heavily toward a bust. The Colts have spent more time waiting for him to improve and get healthy than seeing any kind of return. At the same time, with so much invested in Richardson, it's understandable to not simply cut bait.

What would be smart is to add a mid-round pick to give him some legitimate competition, and Howard would be a solid player to consider. Again, his midwestern popularity figures to be pretty high after this Ohio State season. Many of the best NFL QBs weren't exactly top draft picks, so it's far from impossible that Will Howard's upward spike simply continues in the NFL, and he becomes a star.

#1. Cleveland Browns

Well, why not? The Browns, now being stung by the uncertain health of Deshaun Watson, might do better to just try again. The eternally morbid Cleveland franchise has been through a massive pile of quarterbacks, and Watson's recent Achilles tear may have added him to the pile.

Meanwhile, Howard is a sort of low-risk alternative. He's probably going to be available for a mid-round pick, and if he can replicate his Ohio State success, he might have to run for governor of Ohio. As long as he can be obtained at a relatively low mid-round price, the Browns would be wise to take a shot with Howard.

What do you think of Will Howard's NFL situation? Tell us below in the comments section where you'd like to see him play!