Sam Howell

The Washington Commanders selected UNC QB sam Howell with the 144th pick in the NFL Draft.

Fantasy Impact

After a major slide int he draft for one of the drafts top-50 prospects, Howell was selected by the Washington Commanders with the 144th selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. A notable player drafted ahead of Howell was by the Patriots in selecting Bailey Zappe. Pre-season, Howell was projected to be an early first-round selection before having an off-season in 2021. The rookie will have to compete with Taylor Heinecke and Carson Wentz for the backup and starter roles.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that former North Carolina QB Sam Howell will be visiting with the Carolina Panthers on Monday.

Fantasy Impact

Although undersized for a quarterback, standing at just 6’1”, Howell has a huge arm and has been an elite deep ball thrower throughout his collegiate career. Howell has been on NFL teams’ radars since 2019 when he produced a 111.8 passer rating and threw for 38 touchdowns while throwing just 7 interceptions as a true freshman at North Carolina. Howell’s draft stock dropped during the 2021 season, as his passing numbers did not match what he produced as a freshman and sophomore, likely due to the fact that he lost his top four offensive weapons to the NFL in the 2021 NFL draft. The Panthers have a need at Quarterback and hold the 6th pick in next week's draft. Howell isn’t projected to be a top-10 pick, but if Carolina identifies him as their favorite QB prospect, it wouldn’t be unfathomable for him to be selected by the team.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that former North Carolina QB Sam Howell visited with the Carolina Panthers Monday and he will visit with the Atlanta Falcons later in the week.

Fantasy Impact

Howell has generated first round buzz since his true freshman season at North Carolina where he threw for 38 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions. Howell followed up his freshman season with a stellar sophomore campaign, but in 2021 he took a large step back as a passer after losing his top four weapons on offense to the NFL. With a subpar supporting cast in 2021, Howell threw for just 24 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, but he developed an aggressive running mindset which resulted in him rushing for 1,106 yards on the season. In a quarterback class without any clear cut franchise quarterback, Howell has the physical traits and collegiate production that teams are willing to take a chance on. Carolina, Atlanta, and Indianapolis all have long term questions at the quarterback position and appear to be doing their due diligence in getting a close look at the top quarterbacks in the 2022 class.

Sam Howell is planning to throw tonight at the combine, but he will hold off on tests until his pro day on March 28, according to Tom Pelissero.

Fantasy Impact

The prospective rookie will get to show off his arm after having recorded the highest spin rate (728.6) at the Senior Bowl. He tweaked his calf during Bowl practice in February, but it is considered minor and he will fully participate at the end of the month.