Chansky's Notebook: Taking A Hit

Should Sam Howell be rethinking his plan to turn pro?

First of all, preseason projections should be taken with a grain of salt, whether they be national rankings or mock draft boards.

We know teams are rated in the preseason based on what they did the prior season and which players are coming back, pretty much ignoring who they lost to graduation or the draft. UNC is a prime example of a pick that went awry, both on the ACC and national levels.

Mock drafts should have the same prerequisites about what kind of supporting casts these projected NFL players had the year before and would they be as strong for the coming season. That process has turned the Sam Howell question upside down.

Last summer, Howell was rated as the first quarterback to be selected and on some mock draft boards the first player overall chosen. In the latest CBS mock draft, Howell has fallen to the latter half of the second round as the No. 53 pick, three behind Pitt’s fifth-year senior Kenny Pickett. There is one quarterback projected in the first round, and he is from Ole Miss.

No question, Howell has had to change his game as a junior without two thousand-yard rushers and two thousand-yard receivers who were drafted last spring, not to mention linebacker Chazz Surratt who was a key to Carolina’s defense getting the ball back.

NFL teams don’t draft quarterbacks for their running ability, except for speed-merchant options like Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson. Howell isn’t in their category because he isn’t as fast, although he may be tougher to tackle.

So, has the drop in expectations for both Howell and his team, which need to be equally accomplished for All-American and Heisman consideration, changed Howell’s mind about turning pro? Mack Brown still talks like it’s a done-deal; Howell won’t say until after the season.

The inconsistent play of Carolina’s offensive line and the need for Howell to run the ball more has made him a true dual threat quarterback. But his time scrambling out of the pocket has resulted in reviews like, “He has happy feet when throwing on the move.”

His durability as a run-pass QB has led to him becoming UNC’s all-time total offense leader, but his draft status has also taken a hit.

Photo via AP Photo/Gerry Broome

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Chansky’s Notebook: Taking A Hit

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