The NFL Draft is scheduled for April 24–26, during which 257 players will be selected over seven rounds. After the draft, several others are expected to sign as undrafted free agents. As usual, quarterbacks are one of the biggest storylines heading into draft weekend.
Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward is widely expected to be the first overall pick, with Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders projected to follow soon after. But this week, national champion Will Howard made waves with a bold statement during an ESPN interview, claiming he’s the top quarterback in the class.
“I believe I’m the best quarterback in this draft,” Howard told ESPN. “There’s a lot of talent, no doubt, but being a competitor means believing in yourself. That mindset has helped me push through adversity. Things go wrong sometimes—you have to be mentally tough to push forward. I’ve faced that time and again throughout my career.”
Currently, Howard’s draft stock ranges from the second to fifth round. His impressive showing in the College Football Playoff gave him a major boost, though a less-than-stellar performance at the NFL Combine cooled some of the buzz around him. However, he got another boost recently during an appearance on Barstool Sports’ “QB Class” with Jon Gruden—a segment Gruden used to do with ESPN, where he evaluates quarterback prospects.
Gruden compared Howard to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, praising his physical build (6-foot-4, 235 pounds) and overall game. “I don’t get how people don’t see you as the top quarterback,” Gruden told him. “Didn’t you win the national title? What more do you need to prove? You’re 6-5. You look like a young Josh Allen.”
