Sam Howell has risen in the draft thanks to his pro day at UNC.
Mack Brown said the mock drafts by bloggers and websites are, basically, full of it. He said they either don’t know what they are talking about, or they are being misled by sources from certain NFL teams that don’t want to play their hands before the real draft.
A few weeks ago, Howell had disappeared from the mock draft’s first two rounds on ESPN and NFL.com. Some skeptics said he was a little too small at 6-foot-2 and others who obviously didn’t see him play at Carolina said his hands are too small to throw darts with the football, which is the same size in the NFL as in college.
It looks like Brown was right after UNC’s pro day in March, when representatives from all 32 NFL teams showed up on the practice field to look at those Tar Heels who are trying to get drafted or at least wind up on some of their free agent lists.
The Carolina coach said Howell, his three-year starter, is getting the same comments as Pitt’s veteran Kenny Pickett, whose latest projection is going to the Panthers with the sixth pick of the first round.
“Both have accuracy throwing the ball, have great knowledge of the game and show real poise under pressure,” Brown said.
Howell has climbed back into the front of the second round, with ESPN predicting the Washington Commanders will take him with the 47th pick as the back-up to Carson Wentz and long-term franchise quarterback for the team.
The draft begins April 28, as Howell continues to work out with various NFL teams hoping to move into the first round. A year ago, he was rated among the top first-round picks before his stock dropped when he became a running QB as a junior.
As a great long ball passer, Howell could end up with the Panthers if the Steelers decide they want Pickett from hometown Pitt with the 20th overall selection after the tragic death of their back-up Dwayne Haskins.
Whatever happens over the next two weeks, Howell is trending upward as he has apparently shown teams and scouts that he is a prototypical NFL quarterback more than a dual-threat college star.
Featured image via Associated Press/Gerry Broome
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