Thomas Howard: On the Radar?

Welp, we're hours away. And I'm wondering if Howard is a strong consideration. His name has been thrown around here and there, but should we be paying him closer attention?

He's got pretty good size at 6'3, and while he's only 240, if he adds 10lbs, he should have enough strength/size to hold his own. Not to mention, he ran a 4.47 forty. Due to his excellent speed, Howard can be a terrific edge-rushing OLB in the 3-4. Furthermore, he's strong so he won't get knocked around despite his lack of ideal size.

With those qualities, it seems Howard can play both the 3-4 and 4-3 schemes. The only knock is that he played at UTEP, where the level of competition was pretty weak.

Since we haven't resigned Mark Brown (unless I missed something), and currently McClover is nothing more than a Special Teams-demon-OLB/S-tweener, Howard may be a serious consideration.

I don't know about his character, but he's the versatile, unnoticed (compared to Lawson, Carpenter, Greenway, etc) player that Mangini may take. This is a completely different situation and position, but if y'all remember at the end of R1 last year, Belichick selected Logan Mankins. At the time, that was widely regarded as a reach, but Mankins panned out into a solid starter. The same can go for Howard (although not in R1).

So will Howard likely go in R2, before our R3 pick, and if so, will/should Mangini pull the trigger on him "early" with our R2 pick? (especially if we take an OL, such as Mangold, at #29). You see players drafted based on potential more in the NBA, but Howard is perhaps a player worth drafting on potential because he's so athletic.

If he lasts into R3, and we haven't taken an OLB, is it a no-brainer to select him? -- because you gotta assume by that point, we'll have already drafted one or two OL.

I guess our first two R1 selections will dictate everything; but Howard may be a player worth taking as early as R2.





cheers

 

oops, i forgot.

here's the skinny from Scouts INC.

Strengths: Is an explosive athlete with a rare combination of size and speed. Can change directions quickly and shows very good burst when closing in. He shows very fluid hips for his size. He covers a lot of ground vs. the run and can be very disruptive in the backfield. He pursues hard and plays with a good motor. Will make plays from behind vs. the run. He possesses powerful upper body strength. He is an explosive tackler that will jar the ball loose on occasion. Shows good initial burst and speed as a pass rusher. Has instincts on the blitz and has been very productive when turned loose to rush the passer. He also has a lot of upside in coverage because of his speed, fluid hips and ball skills.

Weaknesses: Level of competition is a concern. He will have a big leap to make in the NFL, where he won't be able to run around as many blockers as he did at the mid-major collegiate level. He must learn to do a better job of taking on and disengaging from blocks in the phone booth. He will take some poor angles and can be over-aggressive. Needs to improve his consistency as a tackler and do a better job of wrapping up in space all of the time. He has below average recognition skills in coverage. Will take some false steps and gets some late jumps on the ball. He gets away with it at his level but needs to diagnose things quicker in the NFL.

Overall: Howard redshirted in 2001 and played as a backup and on special teams during his redshirt freshman season in 2002. He emerged as a starter at the WLB position as a junior in 2003 before moving to the SLB position as a junior in 2004, when he finished with 62 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, eight sacks and two interceptions. Howard started all 12 games as a senior in 2005 and finished with 85 tackles, seven TFL, three sacks and one interception, while earning second-team All-Conference USA honors. Howard doesn't get a lot of national attention at UTEP but he is a legitimate early-round NFL prospect with a rare combination of size and speed. There are questions regarding his level of competition and Howard still has room to improve in terms of his recognition skills, ability to take on blocks and overall tackling consistency. However, Howard emerged as a big-time playmaker during his final two seasons at UTEP and he has the NFL "measurables" to back it up. Howard will need more time than most in terms of his transition to the NFL, but he shows great promise to develop into a starting OLB in the NFL. He also has the skills to contribute as a nickel linebacker on passing downs, as well as a cover-guy on special teams right away as a rookie. We are not quite as high on Howard as some, but we still think he warrants early second-round consideration in the 2006 draft.

 

true.

but for some, it's rarer because of just how athletic they are.

case and point, Mario Williams, which is why he's a top 4 pick.




cheers

 

yeah, i didn't understand that either...

anyway, despite his size, i think he possesses the raw athleticism to warrant an early pick. the thing is, maybe #35 is too early; but our R3 (#71) will most likely be too late. therefore, we may pull the trigger on him at #35.



cheers