The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted former Ohio State quarterback Will Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft with the hope he can be the future at the most important position.
However, Howard panning out is anything but guaranteed. After all, he was a sixth-round pick and the chances of a quarterback from that late in the draft becoming a successful starter in the NFL are slim.
Aside from Howard, the Steelers have zero hope for the future. If he signs, Aaron Rodgers isn’t likely to be around for more than one season, and we already know Mason Rudolph is nothing more than a solid backup.
Apparently, Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy doesn’t have much faith in Howard. He has the Steelers taking Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 16 overall pick in his 2026 mock draft.
Over two years at Cal, Mendoza completed 66.5% of his passes for 4,712 yards and 34 total touchdowns. Last season, Mendoza had his best showing with a completion rate of 68.7%, 3,004 passing yards and 16 touchdowns to six interceptions.
Now, Mendoza will look to build upon last season in order to improve his draft stock, although he will attempt to do so at Indiana after transferring there in December.
Mendoza has more to prove but is already an intriguing prospect thanks to his big arm, impressive accuracy and solid decision-making. He isn’t an elite athlete, but Mendoza has enough mobility to extend plays under pressure.
The Big Ten quarterback still has two more years of eligibility left, so he’s not a lock to even come out in 2026. However, if he can light it up in 2025 at Indiana, he could declare and put himself on Pittsburgh’s radar.
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