Prospect: O.J. Howard, Alabama
Comparison: Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers
The tight end position continues to evolve with players being asked to make more of an impact in the passing game. Greg Olsen entered the NFL as one of those pass-catching tight ends who offered little as a blocker.
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He quickly showed the ability to create mismatches in the passing game while working to improve as a blocker. Olsen is now one of the better two-way tight ends in the league as someone who can help in the running and passing game.
O.J. Howard is the most rounded tight end prospect in the 2017 NFL Draft class. He has tons of experience as a blocker after spending his college career at Alabama. His numbers as a pass catcher don’t truly reflex his potential in this area.
Howard should easily be a more effected playmaker in the NFL based solely on the fact he’ll see more targets. He’s an underrated athlete who can attack the seam and run clean routes. Howard is a natural pass catcher and attacks the ball at its highest point.
He should be a highly effective red zone threat and overall playmaker. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s one of the more productive NFL tight ends early in his career.