2022 NFL Draft: North Carolina QB Sam Howell a tremendous talent

Weaknesses in Howell’s game

While Howell has tremendous skills, there are always areas to improve.

It starts with anticipation. Most of the time, Howell waits for his receivers to get out of their breaks before pulling the trigger, most often with hitch and comeback routes. It hasn’t gotten him into trouble yet, but corners with quick triggers downhill can make plays on those passes if they’re late.

The other thing to (mainly) watch with Howell is how his commitment to high-velocity throws can sometimes lead to accuracy issues. There’s no doubt Howell improved in 2020, but there were still some issues with accuracy. Those issues stemmed from Howell’s velocity that he generates on the majority of his throws. It also comes from pressure, where Howell can’t step into the throw and relies on his arm to make the play.

His accuracy on the run is something else to monitor. It got noticeably better as the 2020 season went on, but he struggled a bit with throws falling short and wide of his target.

Overall, it’s going to be important for Howell to develop more consistently. The flashes are there in droves, but keeping his foot off the pedal at times will help his accuracy and consistency as a passer.