20/20: O.J. Howard

Posted on February 15, 2017

Welcome to 20/20. As part of our continued Dynasty Scouts coverage and in preparation for the NFL Combine later this month, we’ll be profiling 20 of the top incoming rookies of the class of 2017 by giving you 20 facts you must know.

1.) Name – O.J. Howard

2.) College – Alabama

3.) Height/Weight – 6-foot-5, 249 pounds

4.) Birth Date – 11/18/94 (22.2)

5.) Class – Senior

6.) College Stats –

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2016: 45 catches, 595 yards (13.2 YPR), three touchdowns

2015: 38 catches, 602 yards (15.8 YPR), two touchdowns

2014: 17 catches, 260 yards (15.3 YPR), zero touchdowns

2013: 14 catches, 269 yards (19.2 YPR), two touchdowns

7.) NFL Draft Round Projection – Mid-round one.

There’s also a good chance he will rise after the NFL Combine. Eric Galko of The Sporting News reported Howard will be selected within the top 15 picks, and could be drafted as high as sixth overall by the New York Jets.

8.) Current NFL comp – Greg Olsen.

This isn’t a perfect comparison, but Olsen and Howard both excel in similar areas and win in similar ways. They’re comparable in size and speed, are both tremendous receiving threats (particularly downfield), and are adequate blockers. Howard’s after-catch ability is particularly reminiscent of Olsen.

9.) Best possible destination – Green Bay Packers.

Any team with a good quarterback and a barren tight end depth chart would be a good landing spot for O.J. Howard, but the Packers might be the best of the bunch. With Jared Cook hitting free agency, the Packers have little behind him, and Richard Rodgers is just a guy. While it remains possible Green Bay brings Cook back, we know he is far from consistent, reliable, or durable. This year, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ offense performed far better with Cook on the field – a testament to his seam-stretching ability. This is an area where Howard wins as well, and he would fit in perfectly in this offense. If the Packers do bring back Cook – which seems to be a priority for them this off-season – then teams like the New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons would be good fits as well.

10.) Worst possible destination – Houston Texans.

Plenty of teams with mediocre quarterback play qualify for this list, but Houston may be the worst of the bunch. As of now, the Texans appear poised to enter the 2017 season with either Brock Osweiler or Tom Savage starting at quarterback. Neither of these two are the long-term answer, while Osweiler proved unable to elevate star DeAndre Hopkins to even WR2 levels for the majority of the season. This offense simply cannot sustain multiple fantasy-relevant pass-catchers, and Houston’s tight end depth chart includes 2016 breakout C.J. Fiedorowicz and second-year man Stephen Anderson.

11.) Best current skill – Howard is a complete tight end with elite athleticism and no glaring holes in his game. He has great hands and can take over a game when utilized heavily. Howard is a huge downfield receiving threat and excels in the vertical passing game. He was asked to block a lot in Alabama’s run-heavy offense, and has improved in this area over his four-year college career.

12.) Skill that needs to be improved – Howard’s production never matched his elite physical gifts, but that was more a byproduct of the offense Alabama chose to run. At times, he relied on his superior athleticism to win against smaller defenders, and will need to do this less often at the next level. If pointing to one single skill he can improve upon, his route running could use additional polish, although he’s more advanced in this area than most NFL-bound collegiate tight ends.

13.) Past/Current Rookie ADP – 16th overall, TE2

We don’t have any rookie ADP data yet, so we’ll look at our 2017 class rankings instead. The DLF rankers have Howard at 16th overall – and as high as 13th. He is also ranked as the TE2, just one spot behind David Njoku and one spot ahead of Evan Engram.

14.) Projected Dynasty Value – Tight ends are hard to peg, particularly because rookie tight ends rarely have a large impact in the NFL. Depending on landing spot, Howard could be a top-12 dynasty asset at the position upon entering the league. The tight end position is generally a wasteland in fantasy, so an elite talent like Howard could find himself in the top five at the position within the next couple years.

15.) High School Recruit – According to Rivals.com, Howard was a consensus 5-star recruit, the top tight end in the nation, and the 16th best college prospect out of high school. Little has changed after four years.

16.) Senior Bowl Praise – It was somewhat of a surprise when Howard accepted his invitation to the Senior Bowl, but he was utterly dominant, impressing scouts with how easy he made everything look. Daniel Jeremiah called Howard the most impressive player after the first day, and scouts voted Howard the top practice player of the week.

17.) Big Games & Potential – In the last two national championship games, Howard caught nine passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns. In his 55 other collegiate contests, Howard averaged slightly over two receptions and 25 yards per game and totaled just four scores.

18.) Speed – Howard was clocked at 4.49 in the 40 in high school. He has since put on weight and shouldn’t be expected to run quite that fast at the combine, but it’s evident that he is an athletic specimen – and it shows on tape. Howard is projected to run somewhere in the 4.55-4.65 range.

19.) Class Prospects – Howard is Daniel Jeremiah’s 18th-ranked prospect in the 2017 NFL Draft, citing the following:

“Howard has ideal size, speed and toughness for the position. As a route runner, he is at his best on run-away routes. He uses his speed to create separation on seam routes, deep crossers and flat routes. He isn’t used much on option routes and he will need to develop a feel for working in zones and adjusting his route on the move. He has strong hands and a big catch radius. He uses his speed to run away from defenders after the catch and he’s capable of taking underneath throws and turning them into big gains. I love the way he competes in the run game. He can set the edge on the front side and consistently reach and seal on the backside of the play. Overall, Howard is a complete player and he should be an integral part of an NFL offense very early in his career.”

20.) Highlights – Re-watch the 2015-2016 national championship game against Clemson (five receptions, 208 yards, two touchdowns) if you want to see Howard’s best game. He was expected to declare after his dominant performance, but decided to return to school. Here’s his highlight tape: