Sam Howell Seahawks Profile in Review: How'd We Grade QB In 2022 NFL Draft?
Sam Howell is now a member of the Seattle Seahawks by virtue of a Thursday trade with the Washington Commanders. Here, the details on how the deal went down. And below? Exactly what we wrote about Howell as he entered his 2022 NFL Draft .. now of course worthy of a retro-review ...
With the 2022 NFL Draft set to kick off in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 28, the Seahawks will have a chance to kickstart a new era for the franchise with eight selections, including a top 10 pick and four picks total in the first three rounds.
Over the next month leading up to draft weekend, the Seahawk Maven writing staff will dish out in-depth profiles on numerous prospects who could be targets on Seattle's big board.
Next up in the series, with Russell Wilson now with the Broncos, the Seahawks need a new franchise quarterback. Could North Carolina star Sam Howell be the answer?
Background
Starring as one of the nation's best quarterbacks at Sun Valley High School in North Carolina, Howell established a new state record with more than 17,000 total yards and scored 205 combined touchdowns in four years as a starter. Originally planning to attend Florida State, he decided to stay close to home and joined coach Mack Brown in Chapel Hill where he became an instant starter for the Tar Heels. He broke the FBS record with 38 passing touchdowns as a true freshman, earning ACC Freshman of the Year honors. In three seasons on campus, he threw for 10,283 yards and 92 touchdowns while also rushing for 1,009 yards and an additional 17 touchdowns.
Strengths
Boasting a live arm, Howell can put extra mustard on the football and zip throws into tight windows at all levels. His top-tier arm talent can be seen playing with wider hashes at the college level connecting on curls and out routes to the far side of the field with plus velocity. He's also a talented deep ball passer who throws the ball downfield with relative ease and his arm strength is further evidenced by his ability to deliver the football with authority off-platform from multiple arm slots.
Despite playing behind a struggling offensive line, Howell has better pocket awareness than advertised. Though he became a bit too scramble happy at times last year due to frequent pressure and receivers not getting open, he will step up into the pocket to evade the rush while keeping eyes downfield looking for receivers to come uncovered and has proven himself capable of throwing receivers open in spurts.
A sneaky good athlete, Howell emerged as one of the most effective dual-threat quarterbacks in college football in 2021 in part out of necessity. Built with a shorter, compact 220-pound frame, he regularly breaks arm tackles and runs with a bit of a mean streak once he gets a full head of steam. He's also more than capable of extending a broken pass play with his legs outside of the pocket and inflicting damage with his legs.
Away from his physical skills, Howell checks off all the leadership intangibles teams look for from a franchise quarterback. Starting immediately as a true freshman, he helped usher in a new era of Tar Heels football and teammates rallied behind him. He's tough as nails and kept getting up despite getting blasted to a tune of 118 sacks in three years on campus. He's more than willing to hang in the pocket and step into a deep ball while getting smacked by a pass rusher in the process.
Weaknesses
Though Howell completed 63 percent of his passes in college, his accuracy numbers don't paint the full picture. There were too many times, particularly last year, where Howell's lower body wasn't involved enough in his throwing motion, leading to him sailing passes and throwing behind receivers. He put receivers in harms way at times with his precision not being on point. Touch and timing issues were more evident in his 2021 film, helping lead to close to a six percent drop in completion rate compared to his sophomore season.
While capable of progressing through his reads across the field, Howell has been susceptible to bouts with tunnel vision zeroing in on receivers, particularly on seam and post routes where he doesn't look off or even notice the safety. Contributing to a career-high nine interceptions, he got burned several times on such throws last year, most notably when he telegraphed an easy pick against Notre Dame.
As mentioned previously, offensive line play wasn't great in front of Howell, especially last season. But too many times, he held onto the football too long rather than trusting his eyes and unloading the ball, taking more sacks than any quarterback in the ACC over the past three years. He will have to be more decisive at the next level to cut down on the beating he takes in the pocket.
Fit in Seattle
Only 21 years of age, Howell lacks polish in some areas, particularly when it comes to untimely decision-making errors. His play overall took a step backward in his final year at North Carolina, which dropped his stock substantially after being viewed as a slam dunk top-10 pick at this time last year.
With that said, Howell only threw 23 interceptions in three full college seasons, understands how to manage a game, and exudes all of the leadership traits coaches want at the position. He also possesses excellent physical tools with a powerful arm and dynamic running talent, giving him as much upside as any quarterback in this class if he lands in the right situation and receives proper coaching.
Considering what he does well, Howell's ability to launch the ball downfield and create plays as both a passer and runner when plays break down makes him an intriguing possibility for the Seahawks. While he's likely not in play at pick No. 9, if he manages to slip late into the first round or into the second round, general manager John Schneider may be compelled to move up and get his future signal caller.
Previous Seahawks NFL Draft Profiles
Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa | Arnold Ebiketie, EDGE, Penn State | Tyler Allgeier, RB, BYU
