2017 NFL Mock Draft: Bears and Colts Shake Up Top 5

TE. Alabama. O.J. Howard . 23. player. 10. Some may already be starting to regret the Brock Osweiler move but that’s not really fair. He’s in a new offense. It was always unrealistic for him to play like a superstar after three games, especially against the New England Patriots. Bill O’Brien is a good coach. Given enough time he will have Osweiler playing better. Like a star? That’s still up for debate. Until then the Texans remain favorites in the AFC South because of their defense, DeAndre Hopkins and Lamar Miller. <p>If there is one position they need to consider upgrading it’s tight end. They really haven’t had a legitimate option there since Owen Daniels left. C.J. Fiedorowicz was an unfortunate flop. Given the success O’Brien had in New England with Gronkowski and Hernandez, it makes perfect sense he’d want to give Osweiler a serious threat to throw to, especially with Hopkins and Fuller on the outside. It’s the one dimension that’s missing.</p> <p>Of the tight ends projected to go high in 2017, O.J. Howard is the most athletically gifted. The body of a basketball player, he’s got a wide catch radius, good athleticism and plenty of speed to beat defenders deep if they don’t respect it. Alabama hasn’t turned him loose much since the national championship game when he had over 200 yards. Mostly that’s because they haven’t had to and it’s usually not the main focus of their offense. In a proper scheme he would be deadly.</p>