One stat that shows why ex-Alabama TE O.J. Howard should have bigger role for Buccaneers in 2018
By Adam Spencer
Published:
After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, former Alabama TE O.J. Howard had a great rookie season.
In 14 games, Howard racked up 26 catches for 432 yards and six touchdowns, but wasn’t even the Bucs’ No. 1 tight end option.
Still, Howard managed to find a great deal of success on deep passes. According to Pro Football Focus, Howard caught five of his six deep targets for 157 yards and two touchdowns, leading the NFL in catch rate:
OJ Howard hauled in 5 of 6 targets for 157 yards and 2 TDs on deep passes in 2017! His catch rate of 83.3 was the best in the NFL. #Bucs
— PFF TB Buccaneers (@PFF_Buccaneers) July 6, 2018
Howard will compete with Cameron Brate for the starting job in 2018. If he has a big preseason, he should be in line for more action this fall.
Howard was targeted 39 times in 2017, but if he continues to show his skills in the deep game, he could become a valuable piece of the Tampa Bay offense for years to come.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
