(04-23-2019, 07:13 PM)Upper Wrote: The buzz on Howard right now is that he's in the late 1st/early 2nd discussion, which is bizarre to me. He's not tall, he's not long, he didn't face good competition, and he is extremely heavy footed. I don't want him at 38. His athletic profile does not bode well for RT to me. I really don't even want someone as lead footed as him at guard, but I'd at least get it a little more in the late 3rd or 4th round. I think/hope he'll be gone to a different team by then though. Let some other team bank on the outliers.
I'm not seeing many folks going with that buzz. I see "round 4" much more than I see "round 2" reading about this guy. I also see contradictory scouting reports from yours concerning his feet.
Functional Athleticism -He's pretty fleet of foot and shows little issue with playing in space. He's guilty of letting his feet narrow and break down his base as he tries to shadow smaller defenders. He'll have little problem working to set points in space in screen game thanks to mobility.
Anchor Ability -Functional strength looks to be present and he carries a lot of mass below the waist, which should aid in his efforts to continue to clean up his anchor as his leverage gets better.
Flexibility -He doesn't appear to have any glaring deficiencies in mobility, he's got the needed reach in his cleaner pass sets to get depth off of the LOS. He's flashed nice hip hinge to open to wider angled pass rushers as well, it's just not there from muscle memory perspective.
Feet - Moves his feet with ease and ideal speed. With that set, he has a long way to go with developing his kickslide and eliminating a false step into his sets. Base has a tendency to narrow and cause control issues. Feet often deaden on contact.
Versatility - Has exclusively played right tackle in college after converting from tight end. Range and lateral mobility may be better suited for duties in a zone scheme. Has upside on the move and in pass pro but he needs to get stronger and improve technique.
BEST TRAIT - Mobility
WORST TRAIT - Functional Strength
RED FLAGS - None
By Lance Zierlein
NFL Analyst
Draft Projection
Round 2
NFL Comparison
Desmond Harrison
Overview
Ascending tackle prospect who will require additional work with technique and in the weight room to fully realize his potential. Howard is a gifted athlete with rare quickness and fluidity as both a run and pass blocker and his play issues are correctable with more work. While he will be dinged for level of competition, his upside was on full display with his play against Auburn. He needs development, but he's much more than a developmental prospect and could find a starter's spot within his first two years.
Strengths- Former high school quarterback with high-end athletic ability
- Knee-bender who is extremely smooth and fluid in pass sets
- Plenty of quickness in slides to meet speed specialists at top of the rush arc
- Mirrors to keep defenders in front of him like a defensive specialist in hoops
- Attacks rushers with jabs and counters rather than predictable punch
- Maintains posture while re-setting hands, which protects against counters
- Locked down Auburn's edge rushers for most of the matchup
- Operates with quickness and timing to thrive on second level as run blocker
- Continues working hips and feet to gain positioning advantage after engagement
