UNC Football: ESPN analyst has best fit for Sam Howell

With the 2022 NFL Draft just about two months away, the players will descend on Indianapolis for the league’s annual scouting combine as they hope to impress scouts and front office members of teams. This is one of the biggest weeks for draft prospects and the UNC football program will have a few players in attendance.

Among them is quarterback prospect Sam Howell. After three seasons with UNC, Howell opted to declare for the 2022 NFL Draft and is joining a class that really has no sure-thing at the quarterback position. The evaluations for quarterbacks are all over the place right now and no one knows who is going to go first.

However, one draft analyst has an ideal landing spot for Howell as a first-round pick.

In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Todd McShay has Howell going No. 32 overall to the Detroit Lions who own the Los Angeles Rams pick in the Matthew Stafford deal last offseason. McShay believes Howell is a good fit for a Detroit team that is rebuilding and will go into this season with Jared Goff as their starter:

"“Howell is interesting — Sam Howell, out of North Carolina — because he’s not that tall, just over 6-feet. But he’s big, he’s strong. He, like [Ole Miss quarterback Matt] Corral, is a competitive, tough runner. He has a big arm. He’s the best deep-ball thrower in this class. And I think a team like Detroit that’s so blue-collar and tough and built on that mentality, I think they could wind up falling in love with a guy like Howell because he’s everything that they embody. So, with that second first-round pick at No. 32 overall, that could be a good choice for the Lions. And, remember, you get to lock him in for a fifth year as a first-round draft pick.”"

That’s some praise for Howell right there despite having him be taken last in the first round.

Howell could prove some doubters wrong and shoot up draft boards because there is a lot to like about his game. But if he were to do that and make a claim for that top quarterback spot, he’s going to need to have a big combine in Indianapolis.

For more on the UNC football program and Howell’s journey in the draft, please check back with Keeping it Heel.