"Kyle McCord over Will Howard is INSANE" - NFL fans stunned as Eagles draft Syracuse QB as Jalen Hurts' backup in round 6

The Philadelphia Eagles selected Kyle McCord as Jalen Hurts' backup in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft, and observers were surprised that it was not Will Howard. After the first two days of the draft were dominated by Shedeur Sanders' surprising slide out of the top three rounds, many people forgot about the Ohio State quarterback.

Howard is a national champion and was often thought to be a pick that would go on the second day of the draft. Yet, he kept dropping, and fans expressed their surprise on X (formerly Twitter). Here are some reactions from the platform.

The responses were nearly unanimous in how fans felt about the situation.

"Kyle McCord b4 Will Howard? WTF take it from a Buckeye fan, McCord is garbage," one said.

"Kyle McCord getting drafted before Will Howard is crazy," another added.

"Kyle McCord picked before will howard is DIABOLICALLLLLL im sick," a third fan wailed.

Will Howard and Kyle McCord's diverging paths find a moment of convergence

Will Howard and Kyle McCord have a shared history. It was McCord's departure, after not finding assurances that he would remain the Buckeyes' starter, that opened up the spot for Howard to come in and win the National Championship for Ohio State. Yet, it was the Syracuse player who went first.

But both players now find themselves in a similar situation: they are both going to be backup quarterbacks. For McCord, the chance to usurp Hurts will be tough because the Philadelphia incumbent is still young and at the top of his game.

Will Howard might have dodged a bullet by dropping to Pittsburgh because they don’t have a starting quarterback yet. It is widely expected to be Aaron Rodgers, and the rookie might have to sit behind the veteran for a couple of years.

But Howard will have his chance sooner rather than later — unless, of course, the Steelers completely implode and decide to draft a quarterback in the 2026 draft.

The 2025 draft has been full of surprises, especially when it comes to signal-callers, and it will be fascinating to see how they all shape out in their NFL careers.