30 Days of Colts' Fits: Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina

The 2022 NFL Draft is officially just a month away. In order to help you all along until draft day, I decided to start a daily prospect spotlight series to talk about some players that the Colts could target next month.

The players mentioned in this series will be players that I have either heard that the team is really high on, or are players that just make way too much sense for the team based on fit/past draft history.

Next up on the countdown to Draftmas is North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell.

Background

Howell is a former four star recruit that originally committed to play at Florida State. He eventually de-committed and elected to attend his home town team with North Carolina.

The Tarheels wasted no time getting Howell on the field, as he started his first game as a true freshman back in 2019. He had an outstanding freshman campaign, tossing 38 touchdowns to just seven interceptions on the season. He also completed 61.4% of his passes and had a yards per attempt of 8.6. He was named as the ACC Freshman of the Year and was a Freshman All-American for his efforts.

As a sophomore in 2020, his play reached new heights with an absolutely loaded UNC roster. He improved his completion percentage to 68.1% and his yards per attempt up to an outstanding 10.3. He was a finalist for the Manning Award for his play, and was a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award (given annually to the nation's best QB).

In his third (and final) season of college play, Howell did take a step back, as a majority of his skill position players from 2020 departed for the NFL. His completion percentage and yards per attempt numbers plummeted back down to his freshman numbers. Still, he did manage to take home All-ACC Honorable Mention honors in his final season.

Overall, Howell currently holds 27 school records for the Tarheels, including most passing yards and most passing touchdowns in a career. He was able to attend the 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl as well, due to the fact that he graduated from school early as a junior.

Sam Howell has been flying under the radar, but his age/experience mix fits the mold of previous NFL QB successes https://t.co/eSUEHdzOt4 pic.twitter.com/GKO2b3jgtH
— Unexpected Points (@Unexpected_Pts) April 7, 2022

Size/Testing Numbers

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 218 pounds

Hands: 9 1/8 inches

Testing Numbers: N/A

sam howell throws some god damn missles pic.twitter.com/risZ3mLlFG
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) April 6, 2022

Ability on Film

Howell is a more advanced passer than most people give him credit for. He is certainly a bit raw and underdeveloped, but he flashes brilliance at times when looking off safeties or layering throws over the middle. It may be a rare sight (because of North Carolina's hideous RPO-heavy offense), but the ability is there.

This throw below is a good example. He knows pre-snap that he wants to attack the seam shot to his right. He gets a good feel for the coverage prior to the snap and understands that he just has to look off the single high safety to create a window. He starts looking left to freeze the deep safety before quickly snapping back to his right. He fires a pass to his open man for a big play.

On top of being a mobile quarterback that can attack the middle of the field, Howell also possesses one of the prettier deep balls in the draft. He doesn't have a cannon for an arm, but he has the ability to drop passes in the bucket with ease down the field.

This clip showcases his ability well. He slides up into the pocket and keeps his eyes down the field. Even though he knows that he is going to take a shot on this play, he still winds up and launches the ball down the field. This pass is placed perfectly for his receiver to make an impressive catch along the sideline.

Fit with the Colts/Team Interest

The Colts are set at the quarterback position for at least the next two years with the addition of veteran Matt Ryan. When the Colts opted to push some of Ryan's money into the 2023 season, it all but assured that his tenure with the team will be a minimum of two seasons.

So where would that leave a rookie quarterback? Well, it could be a tricky situation. If the Colts take a rookie passer in this class, that player could sit anywhere from 2-4 years on the bench. While it isn't an ideal situation, it could be one that works for a player like Howell.

Howell flashes some NFL ability on film, but he is far from a finished product. He is not ready to be an immediate starter in the NFL and will likely need some time on the bench. Luckily, he is a younger prospect (only 21 years old) that has some room to grow. He could be an option that makes sense if the Colts want to go quarterback in this class.

In terms of interest, the Colts are hosting Howell on a pre-draft visit. It may just be due-diligence, but maybe it's more?

Overall, I am a firm believer that Howell is an NFL caliber quarterback that needs some work before seeing actual playing time. He is fearless player that can make some unreal throws. I'm still skeptical that the Colts go quarterback in this class, but if they do, Howell is not a bad option at all.

Follow Zach on Twitter @ZachHicks2.

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