O.J. Howard the best offensive weapon in the 2017 draft?

Alabama tight end O.J. Howard is one of the best players in the 2017 NFL Draft. In fact, he could be the best offensive weapon in the class…

O.J. Howard might just be the best offensive weapon coming out of the 2017 NFL Draft, and I’m not trying to spew hyperbole upon your reading eyes.

While the class of 2017 has some big names on the offensive side of the football including Leonard Fournette, DeShaun Watson, Dalvin Cook, Mike Williams, Corey Davis, and others, it’s clear that Howard is in a class of his own entering the NFL at the tight end position.

Now, some will say that David Njoku is the best tight end in this year’s class, and they may be right. Njoku has a very high ceiling, perhaps as high or higher than that of Howard. Some prefer Jordan Leggett of Clemson, or even Bucky Hodges of Virginia Tech, but I’ve seen nothing yet that would lead me to believe Howard is not the best in this class.

Though the statistics at Alabama aren’t earth-shattering, Howard showed on a play-by-play basis just how good of a player he can be dating back to the 2015 season when he was a junior and reportedly under 250 pounds. Now, he enters the NFL at over 250 pounds and showed out in the National Championship loss to Clemson…

Before you go any further, you must take a look at Voch Lombardi’s in-depth review of three O.J. Howard tapes that you will absolutely love. This is an excellent breakdown of exactly what Howard is capable of doing, and these game tapes are from his junior season:

It’s clear upon watching that breakdown that Howard displays a consistent ability to dominate a football game as both a blocker and a receiver. You see a guy that is not only a ‘willing’ blocker but one who takes on perfect angles, plays with a chip on his shoulder, and uses excellent technique. As a receiver, the Clemson film from the National Championship game last season certainly shows off the type of playmaker Howard is capable of being.

There’s not a game I’ve watched where Howard struggles with body catches. He’s always extending his hands and arms toward the ball, plucking it out of the air and making it look easy. As a route runner, Howard separates like a receiver. He has quick feet and excellent deep speed. You’ll see him a number of time burning safeties with speed and he has the capability of absolutely destroying linebackers in coverage.

Simply put, Howard is one of the greatest mismatches on a field I have ever watched in a college game. I remember watching Ezekiel Elliott and thinking that he was simply too good to be on the same field as those other college athletes. I think Howard was just as good against college competition as a tight end.

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When NFL teams go through the evaluation process for Howard, they aren’t going to find many flaws. If you’re looking for a guy that can be the ‘next’ Rob Gronkowski type of tight end — equally capable as a receiver and a blocker — this is the one. Howard is NFL-ready and will be an instant impact player at the next level.

The question becomes, how high do you draft him?

If it were me, I wouldn’t hesitate to use a top 15-20 selection, obviously depending on what my team’s primary needs were. This guy is capable of being a top option in the passing game, but if he can play second or third fiddle, even better. He’s got the look of a dominant player that is capable of being the focal point of an offense, even when he’s not catching passes.

As you can see in these tapes at Alabama, the play is almost always running the direction of O.J. Howard. He’s an absolute stud, a superstar in the making.

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