NFL teams split on UNC quarterback Sam Howell ahead of NFL Draft

ESPN’s NFL analysts Jeremy Fowler and Todd McShay addressed their feelings on North Carolina star quarterback Sam Howell after his performance at the Senior Bowl Saturday.

Howell was given a limited role, splitting time with Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe and Liberty’s Malik Willis. The potential first round pick ended the day completing six of his nine passes for 67 yards as well as taking five carries for 29 yards and the American team’s lone touchdown of the afternoon.

Last season Howell threw for over 3,000 yards for the third-straight year under center in Chapel Hill. His yards and touchdowns were down significantly from the previous two years, but he compensated by doubling his rushing totals in 2021 taking 183 carries for 828 yards and 11 touchdowns when he was previously averaging 93 carries per season.

Here’s how ESPN’s NFL Draft experts weighed in on Howell’s valuation heading into April.

Todd McShay: One of two things tend to happen with Howell, and we saw a little of both this week. First, he can get lax with his feet on throws, not setting them and not driving off of his back foot — though he doesn’t necessarily need to with his arm strength. Second, he gets frenzied feet when he is going through progressions, where they aren’t married to his eyes.

After running an offense at UNC that featured a lot of run-pass options and deep rail shots, he will see more intermediate anticipatory throws than he’s used to in the NFL. And that means he needs to work on his footwork. Howell was probably the most steady quarterback in Mobile.

He didn’t have a ton of “wow” moments but he was more consistent than the other five. It was a good week for him and the arm strength showed. I had him over Ridder coming into the week and I came away feeling even better about that.

Jeremy Fowler: I got mixed feedback on Howell. Some scouts liked that he aggressively attacked downfield, completing a few darts that got their attention. Others thought he struggled. One AFC exec said he’s a borderline backup-level talent but could start if in the right situation. “He’s got ability but [I’m] unsure if he can do it on his own … needs the right pieces to be successful,” the exec said.

Read what Fowler and McShay had to say about the rest of the top brass in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft here.