Mel Kiper projects Sam Howell as a major steal in the NFL Draft

Mel Kiper is high on UNC quarterback Sam Howell, who entered the 2021 season as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, poised to do serious damage in the ACC and make noise nationally.

But as was the case with UNC’s disappointing 2021 season, Howell failed to live up to expectations — all while suffering a minor injury that forced him to miss time — throwing for 3,056 yards and 24 touchdowns, both career lows in his three seasons as starter, along with nine interceptions.

Howell, a former four-star recruit via the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, still has a bright NFL future ahead of him. And ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper believes the Detroit Lions presents the perfect landing spot for the former UNC star.

“Sam Howell thinking back to the Lions, late first round would make a lot of sense,” Kiper said. “Sam Howell, I would venture to say when Todd did his Way Too Early Mock 1.0 back in May, he may have had Sam Howell in the top ten. But Sam Howell was losing two top running backs, two top receivers (to the 2021 NFL Draft). You knew then going into (the 2021 season) his production’s gotta drop.”

Kiper has a point — Howell’s production took a serious dip when UNC lost its two leading rushers and two of its top receivers to the NFL Draft. So too did the Tar Heels’ entire team, as Mack Brown’s program dropped from an 8-4 record in 2020 to a 6-7 record in 2021, losing to South Carolina and first-year head coach Shane Beamer in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. But Kiper continued to praise Howell for the way he battled through the season, and he still thinks there’s a route for the Detroit Lions to select the former UNC signal caller with their second pick of the first round.

“This kid battled all the way through. He’s got a lot of experience at North Carolina under Mack Brown. This kid looked like a top-ten guy going into the year. The Detroit Lions can get him late in the first round with pick 28,” Kiper said. “You can make a lot of sense out of that pick and I don’t think anybody would have a big argument, Todd, with the Lions doing that at that point in the draft.”

Todd McShay, Kiper’s ESPN counterpart, agreed with his take: Howell has the intangibles and intrigue to blossom into an intriguing pick for the Lions.

“Howell, to me, is a guy who’s really going to rise through this draft process. Why do I say that? Because if you sit down and interview him and meet with him, he’s everything you look for from an intangibles standpoint. He understands the game. He’s a great worker. Then also on the field, he’s got the big arm. He’s going to show that off at the Senior Bowl. He also is mobile as a quarterback; so he can create with his legs. He can extend plays with his legs,” McShay said. “I think this would be a great pick late in the first round for Detroit after obviously going with a pass rusher with their first pick in the first round.”