Thomas Howard
OLB | (6'3
", 239, 4.47) |
UTEP
Scouts Grade: 88
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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.