Video: Former Alabama TE O.J. Howard takes batting practice with the Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected former Alabama TE O.J. Howard with the 19th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, but the Tampa Bay Rays may want to take a look at the talented young athlete as well.
On Monday, Howard took some swings with the Rays before their game against the Los Angeles Angels. After a rough start, OF Steven Souza Jr. told Howard to relax his hands, which led to an immediate improvement from the ex-Crimson Tide star:
Video of #Bucs top pick O.J Howard taking BP, better after tip from #Rays Souza pic.twitter.com/p7IC4Knti0
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) May 22, 2017
Howard caught 45 passes for 595 yards and three touchdowns as a senior in 2016, but Alabama’s baseball coaches will likely be upset after seeing this. They maybe could have used Howard’s raw athleticism over on the diamond.
The next step is to get Howard in the outfield and see if he can track down fly balls as well as he can chase down passes.