Ranking the 5 quarterbacks Carolina Panthers met with at the NFL Combine

Carolina Panthers met with Sam Howell

“How would you like to play at home“,  was what Sam Howell was reportedly asked by Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer, and for good reason. The quarterback was a megastar at North Carolina, posting 109 total touchdowns in his three-year stint as the locked-in starter for the Tar Heels.

Last year he was viewed as a sure-fire first-round pick before opting to go back to college, where Howell’s production dipped with most of his skill position teammates making their way to the NFL.

So why now is Howell not regarded in the same way as he was last year around this time?

As previously mentioned, his production dipped with talent departing via the draft. And teams felt as though the signal-caller was talented enough to pick up where he left off despite the likes of Dyami Brown, Michael Carter, Javonte Williams, and Dazz Newsome bolted for the next level.

While he did not fall flat on his face, Howell’s play certainly did not meet the same standard as the year prior. His QBR dipped from 179.1 to 154.2 with his passing touchdowns going from 30 to 24 with an additional two interceptions.

Though a bright spot in that transition and a definite positive mark for his scouting profile was Howell’s ability to transition more into his running ability. Production in this statistical category jumped through the roof and cemented him as a legitimate weapon on the ground with more than 800 yards and 11 touchdowns.

This showed an ability to adapt to adversity and overcome it. In this case, it was a lack of talent at the skill positions rather than a steep regression from Howell.

Howell has a live, electric arm, at times showing an ability to push the ball down the field as well as firing rockets with very little effort in the short and intermediate level.  One of the prospect’s best traits is touch passes, throwing balls with great anticipation to allow receivers to make plays down the field and opening them up.

He plays with good intelligence, showing an ability to distribute the ball between multiple options and consistently diagnosing what is in front of him. But suspect pocket awareness is a concern at times and obviously one of the most important things a quarterback needs to have.

While it is somewhat understandable given the state of North Carolina’s offensive line at multiple points, Howell would not feel the pressure behind him and fail to maneuver around avoidable sacks, or even walk back into the defender. He has also struggled to get through his reads on a consistent level, locking onto an option and throwing a bad ball or taking a sack.

You hope Howell’s negatives can be coached out of him, as he seems very open to coaching, and can use his multiple positives to turn into a franchise quarterback. Only time will tell if he can overcome his key issues and meet the level of play expected of him last year.

• Pro Comparison: Zach Wilson
• Projection: 2nd round