Carolina to Commanders: QB Sam Howell Selected By Washington In Round 5
The Washington Commanders have found their quarterback, starting the 5th round off by selecting North Carolina QB Sam Howell.
Howell, who was +225 to be the top overall pick just nine months ago falls all the way to the 144th pick, giving Washington tremendous value.
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The Commanders were one of the teams in attendance at North Carolina's Pro Day to see Howell take the field last month.
Of course, all 32 NFL teams were in attendance, so it's no surprise Washington was, too. Still ...
How did Howell do at his Pro Day in front of literally every NFL team?
"I thought it went really well," Howell told Mike Garofolo and Steve Smith Sr. of NFL Network following the workout. "It was a good session."
In what can only be described as the longest job interview imaginable, every workout is a chance to impress or disappoint league talent evaluators.
And of course, every player intends to leave a lasting impression in hopes of inspiring one team to add them to the roster.
When asked what he wanted to show scouts in this final opportunity to work in a public forum, Howell emphasized the footwork he's been working on in the build-up to the workout.
"I wanted to make sure I was comfortable with it, just because we didn't do a lot of the stuff they do in the NFL in college," Howell said. "The footwork is a little different, so I spent a lot of time doing that."
We'll have to wait and see if the quarterback impressed Washington's scouts enough to make him a 2022 draft pick by the team, but there's one thing we all witnessed that'll work in Howell's favor no matter what.
We all saw how Ja'Marr Chase reunited with his former LSU quarterback teammate Joe Burrow in 2021 and helped catapult the Cincinnati Bengals from a top team in the NFL Draft to the top team in the AFC.
That familiarity and near-instant chemistry were impactful and gave both young players a tactical advantage to help overcome their lack of professional experience.
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Howell has been criticized and doubted all offseason for his drop in production after so many of his collegiate weapons left for the NFL last season, including Washington Commanders wide receiver Dyami Brown.
Brown himself didn't have the NFL debut season many had hoped he might when he was selected in the third round of the 2021 draft, but that can all change in 2022 and beyond.
Especially now that he's reunited with his quarterback.
