Will Howard boost his NFL Draft stock during the 2024 college football season, posting his best numbers in college while leading Ohio State to the 2024 national title.

This past weekend, Howard continued his pre-draft process while taking part in the NFL Combine. In what has been described as a weaker quarterback class, Howard was among a group of college QBs that included Quinn Ewers, Jaxson Dart and others while top prospects such as Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward did not throw in the drills.

While Howard does possess the necessary size and durability for the NFL and showcased adequate athleticism, it was the on-field throwing session that drew some attention, and not in a positive light. Some of Howard’s throws were accurate but it was a mostly disappointing session that even drew some boos from the crowd in Indianapolis.

In spite of the criticism that came for Howard, he found an unlikely supporter. That would be Sanders, the son of Deion Sanders and Colorado QB who is in the mix to be the top QB selected, per the latest odds at DraftKings. (Be sure to use the DraftKings promo code Ohio for the best offers.)

While others harped on Will Howard’s performance, it was Sanders who defended the struggles at the combine of throwing to a variety of receivers you haven’t previously worked with. That could also help explain Sanders’s own decision to avoid throwing at the combine:

On the one hand, Howard’s total accuracy for Ohio State this past season came in at 73%, but he was fortunate to be throwing to a group of receivers that included Emeka Egbuka, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate — all of which have NFL futures.

It’s also possible Howard had an unusual case of combine jitters, but the performance still matters to scouts and teams evaluating the players. We’ll see how much that impacts his stock and whether or not he can regain some of it at his pro day down the road.