ASHBURN — As his slide down the draft unfolded, Sam Howell said waiting to hear his name called was “a little stressful.” The wait turned from hours to days. Howell, projected to be a late first rounder to early second, watched as the first two rounds went by. Then the third. And the fourth.
But to start the fifth round, Howell got the call: The Washington Commanders were taking him with the 144th overall pick. And the “whirlwind,” as Howell called it, of the past few days was suddenly worth it.
“This is a perfect spot for me,” Howell said. “This is the team I wanted to play for all along.”
Yes, the Commanders drafted a quarterback Saturday — but the circumstances are much different than they were just a few months ago when coach Ron Rivera conducted a vast search to find a new starter. Howell, who stands at 6-foot-1, now comes to Washington understanding that he’ll back up Carson Wentz, who was acquired in a trade earlier in the offseason.
But Howell provides upside — and he’ll get a chance to develop without the expectations that come with a top pick. A three-year starter at North Carolina, Howell showed tremendous potential over his first two seasons before taking a step back last fall. With a worse supporting cast, Howell’s stats regressed in key areas such as yards and completion percentage. Yet, at his best, Howell tantalized with a big arm and quick decisive throws.
“It’s a great team,” Howell said. “A great defense. So many weapons on offense. I love the quarterback room as well. So many good guys with Carson and Taylor Heinicke in there. I’m looking forward to working with those guys. … I’m fired up.”
Howell said he had a good idea that the Commanders were interested in him. The 21-year-old met with the team first at the Senior Bowl, then again later at the NFL scouting combine. When North Carolina held its Pro Day in March, Howell noticed representatives from the Commanders.
Entering the week, Rivera openly noted the possibility that Washington could draft a signal-caller. The Commanders had only two quarterbacks on the roster, and Rivera said they were looking for someone who could “learn and retain in a development role.”
Howell, by almost all accounts, wasn’t expected to be available for the Commanders so late into the draft. But this year’s crop earned mixed reviews from the start — evaluators agreed there was no true star like past classes — and when the draft started, only one quarterback was taken in the first two rounds. The Steelers took Kenny Pickett at No. 20.
Over the next two rounds, quarterbacks slowly started to fall off the board. Desmond Ridder went to the Atlanta Falcons in Round 3, while Malik Willis (to the Titans) and Matt Corral (to the Panthers) went shortly after. And in another twist, the Patriots surprisingly drafted Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe in the fourth.
At his draft party in his hometown of Charlotte, Howell said he relied on his faith to keep calm. He paid attention to the picks, but intermittently took breaks by going outside to chat with family and friends.
But finally, the Commanders made Howell the sixth quarterback drafted. In Washington, Howell will reunite with Dyami Brown, the team’s 2021 third-round selection who played with Howell for two seasons at North Carolina. Howell smiled when asked about the reunion, telling reporters that Brown called him within 30 seconds of the pick being announced on television.
“He’s one of my best friends,” Howell said.
“Oh man, he’s a great quarterback,” Brown said after Washington’s season. “He’s a great runner as well.”
Howell’s ability to run is a key part of the quarterback’s game. Last year, the 21-year-old rushed for a career-high 828 yards on 183 yards in North Carolina’s heavy RPO spread offense. Howell’s athleticism helped him escape out the pocket — an area that draft analysts say Howell needs to improve at in the next level.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, for instance, notes how Howell needs to “clean up his footwork and develop as a pocket passer.”
With the Commanders, Howell should get that chance. Unless Wentz is an outright disaster, the team likely won’t be called to play Howell. Even then, Rivera could turn to Heinicke — last year’s starter — and still let Howell develop in the background.
Howell doesn’t seem to mind.
“Talking to coach Rivera, I knew this was a place that I definitely wanted to be and wanted to play for a guy like that,” Howell said. “I’m super excited.”
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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