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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard believes Shedeur Sanders’ unexpected draft slide had a ripple effect on the rest of the quarterback class, costing him and several other signal-callers valuable draft positioning.

Sanders was widely projected as a first-round pick entering the 2025 draft. He did not come off the board until the Cleveland Browns traded up to select him No. 144 overall in the fifth round. It was one of the most dramatic in recent draft history. It also appeared to freeze the quarterback market.

Speaking on The Christian Kuntz Podcast, Howard said he expected to hear his name called on Day 2 of the draft. He pointed to what happened to Sanders as the reason he didn’t.

“I thought there was a chance that I was going to go Friday,” Howard said. “I was hearing that. I remember talking with some of the guys from the Steelers, and it was really that whole Shedeur situation that his sliding really hurt a lot of the other quarterbacks in our class. Just because he was ranked a little bit higher, so nobody wanted to take guys like me, or Riley Leonard, or Kyle McCord, Quinn Ewers. We were all like, late, late picks.”

Will Howard Competing for Roster Spot With Steelers

Five quarterbacks were selected in the first two days of the draft — including Browns backup Dillon Gabriel. Cam Ward went No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans, and Jaxson Dart went No. 25. After that, the position largely stalled.

Once Sanders came off the board in the fifth round, the logjam broke shortly after. Kyle McCord, Howard, and Riley Leonard were all selected within the same 10 picks in the sixth round.

Howard was taken by Pittsburgh at No. 185 overall in the sixth round. He had led the Big Ten in completion percentage, passing yards, and touchdown passes during his final season at Ohio State, guiding the Buckeyes to a national championship.

Howard is now competing for a roster spot in a crowded Steelers quarterback room that includes Mason Rudolph, newly drafted Drew Allar, and potentially 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers. If Rodgers does return, Allar — who was a third-round pick this year — is considered a lock to make the roster. That could leave Howard and Rudolph competing for one remaining spot.

Shedeur Sanders Competing for Browns Starting Role

Sanders started seven games as a rookie. He went 3-4, passing for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Sanders is now looking to hang on to the starting role as he heads into his second season.

New Browns head coach Todd Monken has maintained it’s an “open competition” between Sanders and Deshaun Watson. Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot reported after veteran minicamp that Watson had emerged with an early edge and has the inside track to the Week 1 starting job.

Gabriel remains on the roster, and the Browns added a fourth quarterback to the mix by selecting Taylen Green in the sixth round of the draft. However, neither Gabriel nor Green is expected to be a serious factor in the competition for the starting job.