NFL Mock Draft 2017: Another QB on top?
By Brad Rowland
![May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a helmet and NFL shield logo before the start of the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a helmet and NFL shield logo before the start of the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/1e7333a4b19e9a604434e3d1e4f9dc3c53e4e3cbd2795c637bed7e5af2d74a36.jpg)
27. player. 49. <p>Everyone in the SEC spent three seasons lamenting the Alabama coaching staff for not using O.J. Howard in a more effective fashion. Those concerns evaporated with <em>haste</em> in the national championship game.</p> <p>Howard caught five passes for 208 (yes, 208) yards and two touchdowns in Alabama’s title-winning victory over Clemson, and it was actually a surprise to most people when Howard elected to return for a final season in Tuscaloosa. The former five-star recruit has ideal size at 6-foot-6 and more than 240 pounds, and with the explosiveness that he displayed as a receiver and as a runner in that Clemson match-up, the sky is the limit for Howard.</p> <p>Until that point, Howard was best known for being a penetrating blocker for Alabama’s featured running backs, and that remains his best trait. The NFL probably won’t be a place where O.J. Howard “breaks out” as a move tight end that notches 1,000-yard seasons, but smart teams like the Packers will value his considerable across-the-board talent and Howard is the total package.</p> <p>It seems insane that Nick Saban would have this type of player back again and maybe, just maybe, we will see the passing game run through O.J. Howard in 2016 in a way that we all have been clamoring for during his career.</p>. TE. Alabama. OJ Howard
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