Will Howard vs. Shedeur Sanders: Comparing college stats and NFL salary of QBs from 2025 draft

Shedeur Sanders, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, plummeted from potential first-round status to a fifth-round selection. Meanwhile, Will Howard is the former Kansas State quarterback who led Ohio State to a national championship last season. He was selected in the sixth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Sanders fell to the Cleveland Browns No. 144, while Howard went to the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 185 — both lower than many analysts projected in January.

Sanders enters a crowded but unsettled quarterback room in Cleveland featuring Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel and injured starter Deshaun Watson. Despite being a fifth-round pick, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed that Sanders will have an opportunity to compete for the starting job.

Meanwhile, the Steelers specifically targeted Howard over Sanders, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Ray Fittipaldo.

"I think probably Howard," Fittipaldo said on Thursday, via 93.7 The Fan. "I think they thought Shedeur was a good kid. They weren't convinced he was ever going to be a starting-level player for them."

Shedeur Sanders vs. Will Howard: College stats

NCAA Football: Colorado NFL Showcase - Source: Imagn

After record-setting performances at Colorado and Jackson State, Shedeur Sanders entered the draft with a lot of hype. His collegiate career showed impressive passing efficiency, completing 70.1% of his passes for 14,327 yards with 134 touchdowns against just 27 interceptions across 50 games.

Year	Team	Games			Passing								Rushing
		GP	GS	Record	Comp	Att	Pct	Yards	Avg	TD	Int	Rate	Att	Yards	Avg	TD
2021	Jackson State	13	13	11−2	272	413	65.9	3,231	7.8	30	8	151.7	103	−17	−0.2	3
2022	Jackson State	13	13	12−1	341	483	70.6	3,732	7.7	40	6	160.4	85	173	2.0	6
2023	Colorado	11	11	4−7	298	430	69.3	3,230	7.5	27	3	151.7	111	−77	−0.7	4
2024	Colorado	13	13	9−4	353	477	74.0	4,134	8.7	37	10	168.2	100	−50	−0.5	4
Career		50	50	36−14	1,263	1,803	70.1	14,327	7.9	134	27	158.4	399	29	0.1	17

Howard took a less direct path to NFL consideration. His stats tell the story of steady growth rather than immediate stardom. After three inconsistent seasons at Kansas State, Howard transferred to Ohio State for the 2024 campaign, where he thrived by completing 73.0% of his passes for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns.

Year	Team	GP	GS	Record	Comp	Att	Pct	Yards	Avg	TD	Int	Rate	Rush Att	Rush Yards	Rush Avg	Rush TD
2020	Kansas State Wildcats	9	7	2−5	90	168	53.6	1,178	7.0	8	10	116.3	78	364	4.7	3
2021	Kansas State Wildcats	6	3	1−2	30	55	54.5	332	6.0	1	1	107.6	32	184	5.8	4
2022	Kansas State Wildcats	7	5	4−1	119	199	59.8	1,633	8.2	15	4	149.6	35	22	0.6	3
2023	Kansas State Wildcats	12	12	8−4	219	357	61.3	2,643	7.4	24	10	140.1	81	351	4.3	9
2024	Ohio State Buckeyes	16	16	14−2	309	423	73.0	4,010	9.5	35	10	175.3	105	226	2.2	7

Shedeur Sanders vs. Will Howard: NFL salaries

According to Spotrac, Shedeur Sanders' fifth-round selection projects to a four-year, $4,646,533 rookie contract with the Browns.

Howard's sixth-round position nets him approximately $4.45 million over four years with the Steelers based on the NFL's collective bargaining agreement.