Slippery – Uncanny ability to escape defenders in the pocket and turn sacks into positive yardage.
Progressions – Works through his progressions well to find the best read, even if that is the third or fourth option. Doesn’t overly fixate on one target.
Arm Strength – Strong enough to throw into tight windows and stretch the field.
Awareness – Knows when to take off running and/or step up in the pocket.
The Bad
Release Time – Has a tendency to pat the ball prior to winding up to throw.
Placement – Forces receivers to do too much with high throws, limiting YAC.
Deep Balls – Doesn’t get enough air under the throws, allowing them to be undercut by safeties.
Frame – Somewhat limited by size
Overall Assessment
PRE-DRAFT: Howell was a three-year starter at North Carolina and was expected to be one of the top QBs coming into this past season. As UNC sputtered during the 2021 season, the hype on Howell faded. However, he’s still likely to be one of the first QBs off the board come draft time. Howell possesses a lot of the intangibles that can’t be taught to quarterbacks (i.e. leadership skills), but lacks a bit in his mechanics. The ball pat on the throw windup not only slows him down, but it’s a dead giveaway to defenses. The fact that he showcased his running ability in 2021 (828 rushing yards vs. 146 in 2020) will be intriguing to some GMs, but I think he is still a bit of a project in terms of being ready to compete in the NFL. He needs coaching and development work and I don’t think his ceiling is as high as many people previously thought.
2021 Rookie Digest
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