While Liberty’s Malik Willis and Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett are in a good position to land in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the next tier of quarterbacks rests on the fringe of round 1 territory. Within this group is North Carolina’s 6’1″ 220 lb. passer Sam Howell. Entering the 2021 season, Howell was projected to become a top ten pick but after losing the likes of teammates Javonte Williams, Michael Carter, and Dyami Brown to the NFL, Howell turned in a rather underwhelming 2021 campaign for his standards. Do I still view Howell as a franchise quarterback? Read on to find out!
Strengths: Howell has a quick release and a live arm that possesses the strength to throw deep with ease and to put a lot of zip on drive throws. He is a really good processor of the field, consistently going through his progressions to find the open target. Howell shows good accuracy and ball placement in flashes to all levels of the field. He shows the ability to fit the ball into tight windows across the middle of the field and to layer the ball properly over second-level defenders. He does well to resort to his check-down option when needed. Howell possesses good escapability and shows the ability to throw accurately on the run. Additionally, he maintains a really good vision of the field while scrambling and can find the open man on the run. Howell is a really gifted runner too, which was on display throughout the 2021 season. He is quick with a good burst to find the open field. He also has some shiftiness to make defenders miss. Howell’s best trait as a runner is his remarkable contact balance, as he often bounces off defenders to gain extra yards. He is a really tough runner too, showing no hesitation to lower his shoulder and plow into contact. His legs should afford him time to grow into his game in the NFL, as they are very useful to pick up crucial first downs. Howell has a really strong and compact build that seems to be very durable given how much rushing volume it sustained in 2021 without suffering from injuries. As a three-year starter, Howell enters the NFL with plenty of experience under his belt. He showed admirable commitment to his team by choosing to play in their bowl game despite the recent trend of early-round NFL Draft prospects opting out of these contests.
Weaknesses: Howell lost two running backs and two wide receivers to the NFL this past off-season and he adjusted very poorly to the drop-off in talent around him. Not only did he fail to elevate his supporting cast as much as a future NFL franchise quarterback would be expected to, but he also regressed as a passer. His accuracy became more inconsistent than in 2021 both in the intermediate and deep portions of the field. Howell missed passes both high and low, long and short, and left too many touchdowns on the field as a result. His biggest weakness is how much he struggles against pressure. While Howell is a dangerous running threat, he often tries to do way too much in escaping extreme pressure. Combined with holding the ball on too long, Howell takes way too many avoidable sacks. He also fails to sense pressure at times, which results in additional sacks and puts him at risk of fumbling. At other times, Howell drops his eyes against pressure and looks to bail from the pocket before he needs to. He also puts the ball in danger when he inaccurately throws through a hit. Howell throws to covered receivers far too often, tossing risky 50/50 balls that can result in interceptions. He also fails to see a lurking safety at times, accidentally throwing into double coverage. Howell is on the shorter side for a quarterback and is thus at greater risk of batted passes at the line of scrimmage.
Bottom Line: Entering the season, I was confident in Howell’s NFL projection because of how accurately and reliably he distributed the football. However, he noticeably regressed in 2021 with a worse supporting cast around him, failing to elevate his offense as much as he should have. His accuracy downfield became far too inconsistent, and his issues against pressure were accentuated. Howell has issues sensing pressure and holds the ball way too long, taking far too many sacks and risking fumbles. These problems must be resolved if he is to have success in the NFL. Nonetheless, Howell remains an impressive processor of the football field with good arm strength, meaning the potential is there. He also showed in 2021 that he is a really good running threat with great contact balance to extend runs. But given his struggles in 2021, notably his inconsistent accuracy and his issues against pressure, I am not confident in Howell’s abilities to become a franchise quarterback in the NFL. For him to have the best chance, the team drafting him should have a very good offensive line to allow him to work from a clean pocket often and distribute effectively as a result.
Grade: 2.9 (indicative of a late-second round grade)
Sources
- Cover Image: https://triblive.com/sports/north-carolina-qb-sam-howell-visits-with-steelers/
