Sam Howell 6’0 ½ ” 218, North Carolina *JR

Overview
A true junior (three year starter) coming out in 2022, Howell made 37 starts at North Carolina.
As the triggerman of Phil Longo’s basketball on grass (spread gun) offense, Howell proved to be
dually effective both through the air & on the ground. For his career, Howell passed for 10,283
yards, 92 touchdowns, 23 interceptions while accounting for 1,009 rushing yards & 17 rushing
touchdowns (828 of those yards came in 2021)

Games Studied
2021- Notre Dame, Pitt, Florida State, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech
2020- Miami, Texas A&M, NC State
2019- Clemson, Virginia Tech

Trait Grades (Howell)

Arm Talent (A-) Toughness (A) Anticipation (B+)

Arm Strength (B+) Pocket Presence (B)Football IQ (A-)

Ball Placement/Accuracy (B+) Intangibles/OffField (A) Touch (A)

Delivery/Mechanics (A) Running/Athleticism (A) Throw on Run (A-)

Tape Analysis (Howell)
A naturally gifted deep ball (post, fade) thrower who is at his best playing with rhythm & timing.
Able to scan effectively post snap as Howell plays with quick eyes which speaks to a high
football IQ. At times, Howell will drop his eyes however when dealing with pressure as he looks
to run first more than moving to throw. This is both a gift & a curse for Howell because he has
above average ability to create & extend plays with his legs & will be a legitimate rushing threat
at the NFL level. When he does so from an improv standpoint, he can leave throws on the field or is a
beat late/off when he decides to pull up & throw at the last second. A competitive, fiery leader who teammates gravitate towards which is apparent on film. Howell commands respect but does so in a truly authentic, quiet confidence manner. Emotionally mature young player. Tough, both mentally & physically. Took a pounding in 2021 as he put a good portion of the Tar Heels load on his shoulders, which resulted in Howell trying to do too much, too often as a junior. The offense he played in was unique, innovative. Phil Longo, the Tar Heels offensive coordinator, implemented a high tempo, creative, shotgun spread based attack that conceptually won’t translate to the NFL game, which made Howell look uncomfortable at times when answers were not there in the passing game. However, in watching Howell’s Pro Day, private workouts & digging deeper into his background, Howell is adept at playing with timing & under-center drop back passing game fundamentals, something that is missed often in his college film evaluation. When you take this account, he begins to remind me of a young Drew Brees except with better arm strength & the ability to rush the football & create at a high level. This is why I have Sam Howell as my top quarterback in the 2022 QB Class. He is quite possibly the most natural thrower in the class, a highly gifted athlete equipped with the right mindset & toughness. Howell has been through adversity & came out better from it.

Howell demonstrates the ability to quickly re-set his feet after the angle of his initial setup had him looking in a different direction. Very naturally athletic & smooth from a footwork standpoint, even more pronounced now during his pre-draft training as he is working a variety of concepts & drops from under-center. Stays on the balls of his feet & has a quick, compact stroke. Shows the ability to throw with touch on fades & can also drive the ball on skinny posts. A very natural thrower of the football.

Projection (Howell)
I expect Sam Howell to be the 1st QB off the board on April 28. Depending on where he ends up, he may sit and learn as a rookie. I see Pro Bowl potential & Howell as a top ten QB in the league if he develops properly & lands with the right team. Expect Sam Howell to be selected within the first 10 picks of the 2022 NFL Draft.