Tight end O.J. Howard projects to be much better in NFL than he was at Alabama

One of the arguments against Alabama prospects in the NFL Draft is that many of them are maxed out when they leave the program.

Needless to say, Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban demands excellence in Tuscaloosa. No matter how many stars are next to a player’s name in high school, if he doesn’t pay the daily price, then he’s not going to last very long.

As a result, not a lot of Saban’s eventual draftees — despite a murderer’s row of All-Americans at seemingly every position — have gone on to be stars at the next level. For every Julio Jones, who is arguably the best receiver in the league, there are a handful of Mark Ingrams, who’s a good back but not a great one.

Then you have the occasional flameout like Trent Richardson. A force on Saturday, his abbreviated career on Sunday remains a head scratcher.

It’s quite fair to wonder just how much better some of these players can get once they leave ‘Bama. They’ve already been coached as hard as possible. They’ve already worked in the weight room as hard as possible, too.

Perhaps not as much as the NBA, where teenagers are routinely selected on upside alone, but so much of the draft is based on projecting what a prospect could potentially be one day — not necessarily what he is right now. The Tide simply do a better job of getting everything out of their players on campus before sending them off to the pros.

However, tight end O.J. Howard appears to be a glaring exception to this Saban stereotype. There’s no telling how good he can be down the road.

Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports

According to Rob Rang, the senior NFL Draft analyst for CBS Sports, Howard doesn’t enter the draft with the same reputation as so many Alabama products before him. There’s room for growth once he starts getting paid to play.

“On the surface, Howard’s story reads like many of the other highly regarded prospects in Saban’s football factory. Blessed with obvious physical gifts, Howard signed with the Tide amid great expectations as a five-star recruit. He earned early playing time, wowing with his combination of size and athleticism. In comparison to others at his position across the country, however, Howard’s personal statistics are relatively meager part because there have been (and remain) so many mouths to feed in the Alabama offense.”

Howard caught 14 passes as a true freshman in 2013 and 17 a year later as a sophomore, supposedly setting the stage for a breakout junior campaign. But with 33 receptions for 394 yards — not to mention zero touchdowns — through the first 14 games of the season, he was a disappointment in the eyes of many Crimson Tide fans.

Then came the College Football Playoff National Championship victory over Clemson, when he had 208 yards and a pair of TDs on 5 receptions.

While Howard was more effective statistically as a senior this past year, he was far from dominant. But he again starred against Clemson in the national title game, albeit in a loss this time, with 4 grabs for 106 yards and a score.

Unquestionably the premier player in the draft at his position, he looks to be a lock for Round 1 at this point. Howard is Rang’s No. 11 prospect overall — ahead of more celebrated ‘Bama alumni like cornerback Marlon Humphrey (21), offensive tackle Cam Robinson (25) and outside linebacker Tim Williams (27).

More than likely, Williams will be the sole tight end chosen in the first round. Rang isn’t bashful with his comparisons, either.

“At a shade under 6-feet-6 and 242 pounds, Howard looks more like a power forward than a traditional NFL tight end. An explosive athlete with breakaway speed, lateral agility and balance, Howard projects well as a ‘move’ tight end and hybrid slot receiver, similar to the way that the New Orleans Saints (and subsequently the Seattle Seahawks) featured former All-Pro Jimmy Graham.”

Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

In 2016, 10 different tight ends in the NFL reeled in at least 60 passes, six racked up a minimum of 800 yards receiving and two were credited with 8 touchdowns through the air. There may never be a better time to line up at the position.

It’s a pass-happy league. The rules currently dictate throwing the ball early and often. It’s also a matchup league. Howard’s enviable size-and-speed combination — don’t be surprised if he runs a sub-4.6 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine next month — makes him too big for most safeties and too fast for most linebackers.

He’s not without his flaws, though. While there are no perfect prospects for the NFL, Rang believes that Howard does have a few questions to answer.

“While undeniably gifted, Howard remains far from a finished product. At this time, he is far too reliant on his size and athleticism as a route-runner, showing limited shoulder fakes and altered gaits to keep defenders guessing. Howard is not the bulldozer with the ball in his hands that his size would suggest and this lack of ideal physicality is also evident in his blocking, where he remains more pesky than powerful or passionate.”

Last month at the Senior Bowl, Howard was one of the most talked-about performers during the three days of practice in Mobile. He caught 4 passes for 39 yards in the actual game, most notably a 24-yarder from Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs.

But why didn’t Howard put up bigger numbers at ‘Bama? Yes, it’s a ground-based offense. Yes, he was asked to block more often than, say, Evan Engram of Ole Miss. Yes, with all those tailbacks and all those wideouts — don’t forget the running ability of quarterback Jalen Hurts — there’s only one football on any given play.

Regardless, the NFL community is giving Howard the benefit of the doubt. Apparently, he’s one project Saban didn’t have time to finish.

John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.