Sam Howell hurts case for being top 2022 NFL Draft pick in debut

North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell undoubtedly hurt his case to be the top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft with a rough debut against Virginia Tech.

Considered arguably the top prospect at the quarterback position in the 2022 NFL Draft class, Sam Howell got off to an extremely rough start when North Carolina took on Virginia Tech to open the 2021 season. Howell was sacked three times in the first half alone and wound up throwing three interceptions in an incredibly disappointing loss against the Hokies.

It may seem unfair, but unless Howell goes absolutely bonkers the rest of the season, this game probably derailed his hopes of winning the Heisman Trophy and certainly, it doesn’t bode well for his hopes of being the top pick in next year’s NFL Draft.

The touchdown was a record-setting one for Howell, but the fun memory was short-lived as the Hokies’ defense stifled the preseason top pick favorite for many of us in the media.

Howell was the top overall pick in my most recent 2022 mock draft, but those preseason projections can obviously change substantially over the course of the season.

It’s also important to remember — it’s a long season.

Still, we can’t have Howell out there doing these types of things if he is going to stay high in future mock draft predictions…

No, not everything in this game was Howell’s fault. He had poor protection and little help from his receivers at times in this game and the crowd at Virginia Tech had a tremendous impact on the game.

It was almost like Howell lost a bunch of really good teammates on the offensive side of the ball to the NFL or something.

Oh, that’s right — he did.

Still, just like with any other star quarterback prospect, Howell is (rightfully) expected to go out there and be the tide that raises all boats. He can only do so much, but he simply didn’t have it in this game.

Even his lone touchdown was not a throw that will matter all that much in the grand scheme of things.

With players like Zach Harrison, Chris Olave, and Garrett Wilson of Ohio State really proving themselves worthy of their preseason 2022 NFL Draft status on Thursday night, it was absolutely disappointing to see Howell come out and play the way he did.

This one game does not erase all that we have seen from Howell on film, and he will absolutely bounce back as the season progresses.

Still, this is not a good start for him or the Tar Heels, who were the 10th ranked team in the country going into this game. Sam Howell’s 2022 NFL Draft stock, for now, is going down with that ranking.