UNC Football: Sam Howell to the Pittsburgh Steelers?

After the Senior Bowl this past weekend, this ESPN mock draft has former UNC football standout Sam Howell landing in the AFC North.

The NFL draft process continues for Sam Howell, as he can now check another item off his pre-draft “to-do list.”

This past weekend, the former UNC football standout participated in the annual Senior Bowl. Over the week of preparation as well as the actual game, Howell, along with the other participants, had the opportunity to showcase his skills in front of numerous executives and coaches throughout the week.

It appears that Howell impressed a few people during the process. According to ACC Network analyst Eric Mac Lain, Howell was described as the most consistent quarterback among those that participated, which is high praise considering some of the talent that he was up against.

After seeing him throw the football this week, Pro Football Focus analyst Anthony Treash believes that Howell has elite arm talent.

Of course, there’s still plenty of time before the NFL Draft comes along on April 28. However, mock drafts continue to roll in, and this particular one sees Howell ending up in the AFC North Division.

Jordan Reid’s latest mock draft for ESPN has the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting Howell with the No. 20 overall pick. Here is what Reid had to say regarding the pick:

"One of the worst-kept secrets at the Senior Bowl was the Steelers’ desire to draft a quarterback to replace Ben Roethlisberger. During the second day of practices, coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert paced back and forth down the sideline in a downpour of rain getting an up-close view of prospects. Howell, who had 24 touchdown passes and nine picks in 2021, had several high moments at the Senior Bowl. The Steelers have shown in previous years that they aren’t afraid to trade up to acquire a player they really like, which means they are a team to watch if they don’t acquire a veteran signal-caller."

In this mock, Howell was the fourth quarterback selected off the board. He was one of six quarterbacks that Reid had selected among his top 64 selections.

If you’re Howell, landing in Pittsburgh would be a very solid option for a rookie quarterback. He’d be joining a franchise that has a successful history, and it wouldn’t hurt having a veteran coach in Mike Tomlin who has a pretty impressive resume of his own.

To go along with joining a stable franchise, he would also have plenty of weapons to work with. The likes of Najee Harris, Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson are all expected to be back, and it’s very possible that more weapons will be added to surround the team’s next quarterback.

Of course, replacing a franchise legend like Ben Roethlisberger wouldn’t be easy, but the situation is definitely an enticing one for a rookie quarterback. They are a team that made the playoffs this year and are looking to continue that trend, so it’s vital that they find a solution to their quarterback vacancy this offseason.

It all depends on how the draft board falls (and if any trades are made), but this could be a great landing spot for Sam Howell to begin his professional career. With his skillset, if he can adjust to the NFL level, the Steelers could have another long-term option under center to work with.

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news on Sam Howell, his NFL Draft process and the rest of the UNC football program.