Panthers draft: Examining 3 big narratives surrounding Sam Howell
Sam Howell is Baker Mayfield-lite
The worst crime you can commit as a draft prospect in any sport is looking like someone else. Sam Howell is roughly the same height and weight as Cleveland Browns’ signal-caller and former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield.
They admittedly have some similarities in playstyle and can both grow pretty healthy beards. But let’s take a closer look at the pair.
Coming out of high school, Mayfield was a three-star pro-style quarterback who was ranked the 1,029th best player nationally, the 42nd best pro-style player at the position, and the 160th best player in his home state of Texas according to 247 Sports.
The future Heisman Trophy winner received offers from Washington State, Rice, New Mexico, and Florida Atlantic, but ultimately decided to walk on at Texas Tech before making a name for himself at Oklahoma.
Howell was graded as a four-star dual-threat quarterback going into college and was ranked the 93rd best player nationally, third-best among dual-threat quarterbacks, and second-best player in the state of North Carolina.
The Sun Valley product received offers from a ton of elite college programs including Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, and Oregon. Howell initially committed to Florida State – but eventually flipped to play for Hall of Fame head coach Mack Brown and the University of North Carolina.
Howell choosing North Carolina was great for the program, but quite frankly, they were still rebuilding under the tutelage of Brown. After a fantastic sophomore season where the Tar Heels finished 8-4 and played in the Orange Bowl, the school couldn’t maximize his talent with a quality supporting cast when several of his teammates went to the NFL.
That isn’t to diminish what he accomplished as a Tar Heel, as he is the university’s all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns.
Mayfield was surrounded by elite talent at Oklahoma throughout his tenure led by offensive mastermind Lincoln Riley. When he won the Heisman Trophy in 2017, his supporting cast included Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, CeeDee Lamb, and Mark Andrews.
The fifth-year-pro deserves credit for an incredible college career. But there’s no doubt he was dealt a better hand than Howell.
The verdict? This narrative misses the mark.
Howell is a significantly more talented athlete than Mayfield and a true dual-threat quarterback. One of the most underrated aspects of his college career is that he worked on his weight to become a better runner each year, rushing for a whopping 828 yards to go along with 3,056 yards passing this past season.
Mayfield was a more accurate passer coming into the NFL but has struggled with accuracy as a pro – particularly when throwing deep. It remains to be seen how Howell’s passing ability translates, but his mobility adds a wrinkle to his game that could make him just as good, if not better, at the next level.