Menu
  • SEC Country Home
  • Football
    • Football News
    • Rammer Jammer
    • 2017 Schedule
    • SEC Country Live
  • Recruiting
    • 2018 Recruits
    • 2019 Recruits
    • Recruiting Articles
  • Daily Podcast
  • Basketball
    • Basketball Articles
    • 2017-2018 Schedule
  • SEC West
    • Alabama
    • Arkansas
    • Auburn
    • LSU
    • Mississippi State
    • Ole Miss
    • Texas A&M
  • SEC East
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Kentucky
    • Missouri
    • South Carolina
    • Tennessee
    • Vanderbilt
  • SEC News
  • Partners
  • SEC
    • All SEC News
    • Alabama Crimson Tide
    • Arkansas Razorbacks
    • Auburn Tigers
    • Florida Gators
    • Georgia Bulldogs
    • Kentucky Wildcats
    • LSU Tigers
    • Ole Miss Rebels
    • Mississippi State Bulldogs
    • Missouri Tigers
    • South Carolina Gamecocks
    • Tennessee Volunteers
    • Texas A&M Aggies
    • Vanderbilt Commodores
  • ACC
    • All ACC News
    • Boston College Eagles
    • Clemson Tigers
    • Duke Blue Devils
    • Florida State Seminoles
    • Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
    • Louisville Cardinals
    • Miami Hurricanes
    • NC State Wolfpack
    • North Carolina Tar Heels
    • Notre Dame Fighting Irish
    • Pitt Panthers
    • Syracuse Orange
    • Virginia Cavaliers
    • Virginia Tech Hokies
    • Wake Forest Demon Deacons
  • Big Ten
    • All Big Ten News
    • Illinois Fighting Illini
    • Indiana Hoosiers
    • Iowa Hawkeyes
    • Maryland Terrapins
    • Michigan Wolverines
    • Michigan State Spartans
    • Minnesota Golden Gophers
    • Nebraska Cornhuskers
    • Northwestern Wildcats
    • Ohio State Buckeyes
    • Penn State Nittany Lions
    • Purdue Boilermakers
    • Rutgers Scarlet Knights
    • Wisconsin Badgers
  • Big 12
    • All Big 12 News
    • Baylor Bears
    • Iowa State Cyclones
    • Kansas Jayhawks
    • Kansas State Wildcats
    • Oklahoma Sooners
    • Oklahoma State Cowboys
    • TCU Horned Frogs
    • Texas Longhorns
    • Texas Tech Red Raiders
    • West Virginia Mountaineers
  • Pac-12
    • All Pac-12 News
    • Arizona Wildcats
    • Arizona State Sun Devils
    • Cal Golden Bears
    • Colorado Buffaloes
    • Oregon Ducks
    • Oregon State Beavers
    • Stanford Cardinal
    • UCLA Bruins
    • USC Trojans
    • Utah Utes
    • Washington Huskies
    • Washington State Cougars
Alabama 2018 Recruits
21
Signed
0
Commits
See all recruits
The Alabama Podcast
Nick Saban answers question every fan has, issues challenge to Crimson Tide fans
news-article-icon
Roll Tide-ings

Alabama's successful recruiting weekend has Tide with nation's No. 1 class again

Chris Kirschner - Posted: 9 hours ago
news-article-icon
Rammer Jammer

Alabama football: Nick Saban responds to comments made by Jalen Hurts' father

Matt Speakman - Posted: 3 days ago

Mel Kiper on O.J. Howard’s draft stock: ‘Maybe the first tight end off the board’

Alabama tight end O.J. Howard
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Knox Bardeen
Knox Bardeen
Posted 2 years ago

Friday is decision day in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Nope, this isn’t a conversation about recruiting visits or which coach is talking to which elite high school athlete (although with 19 days until National Signing Day, the furious pace with which conversations about high-schoolers declaring their intent to a school will not only accelerate, but become more interesting too), the news Friday will revolve around whether or not Alabama’s draft-eligible underclassmen will stay in school for another year or turn pro (the decisions will be made public during a press conference at 3 p.m. ET).

Two bits of media news caught my eye Thursday on one of Alabama’s stars pondering the jump to the NFL.

My colleague here at SEC Country, Jay Clemons, offered his take on Crimson Tide tight end O.J. Howard.

“Howard likely won’t replicate the single-game insanity of 200-plus yards and two touchdowns as a senior. As such, it makes sense to turn pro off his career-best outing,” Clemons offered as a George Costanza tried and true method of leaving the room on a high note. The “room” in this case is Bryant-Denny Stadium and his Alabama football career.

That makes complete sense. Why risk injury with another season in Tuscaloosa? If Howard’s eight combined catches for 267 yards and two scores over his final two games of 2015 – College Football Playoff wins over Michigan State and Clemson – is enough to make NFL teams forget that he only had 30 grabs for 335 yards and zero touchdowns in the 10 games prior, than Howard should absolutely hop into the NFL draft.

But it’s more than just about numbers with Howard, according to ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., who believes Howard’s draft stock is extremely high.

“I think he’s right now the second-best, draft-eligible tight end,” Kiper said on a conference call Thursday. “Doesn’t mean he’ll come out. I haven’t heard yet on Howard whether he’s coming out or staying, but he could be the second tight end off the board.”

That would be a huge landing spot for Howard. Kiper predicted Arkansas tight end Hunter Henry would be the top pick at tight end in the 2016 NFL Draft, but even that isn’t a solid with Howard’s upside.

“With Howard having that strong workout, you would expect with a kid his size and his physicality and the way he finished, you remember what you saw last,” said Kiper. “You saw a chance to be a heck of a weapon in the NFL. I would think he could be a second-rounder, who could be the No. 2 tight end off the board, if not maybe the first tight end off the board.”

In the matter of a few breaths, Kiper teeter-tottered his opinion on Howard. Is Alabama’s championship-game hero potentially the top draft-eligible tight end or the second best?

Howard shouldn’t stick around in the college ranks to find out.

Read more:

  • Kiper: Alabama QB Jake Coker’s NFL draft stock improved greatly during College Football Playoff
  • Mel Kiper believes Ole Miss star Laremy Tunsil could “be a complete left tackle” in the NFL
  • Alabama RB Derrick Henry does not have ‘enough wiggle,’ gets third-round NFL grade from Mel Kiper, Jr.
  • Kiper on Laquon Treadwell’s top-10 draft stock: ‘He’s got to run well enough to warrant being that high’
  • Mel Kiper mock draft confirms: Ole Miss star Robert Nkemdiche’s NFL prospects slipping
  • Mel Kiper mock draft: 4 Alabama players land in Top 20
NEXT 15 things every Alabama fan needs to know today
More from:
Knox Bardeen
  • 10 undrafted SEC rookies with the best chance of making it onto an NFL roster
  • Point/Counterpoint: Why Auburn must beat Texas A&M in September
  • Trevor Knight won the Texas A&M QB battle, but will he hold onto the job?
  • Nick Saban’s willingness to change focused on the wrong measure
  • Point/Counterpoint: Why Georgia must beat Florida in October

Share

Listen to SEC Country’s Alabama podcast

Get the latest Alabama News

Don't miss breaking news!
Sign up for the SEC Country Alabama Newsletter!

Official Partners

Latest SEC News

  • SEC
    2018 NBA mock draft: Projections for first round, top player...
  • SEC
    NFL mock draft 2018: First-round projections, top players, o...
  • SEC
    2018 NFL Draft: Date, time, TV schedule, draft order (April ...
  • 9 hours ago
    Tennessee
    The truth about Tennessee QB situation: Details on Keller Ch...
  • 9 hours ago
    Alabama
    4-star safety Brendan Gant de-commits from Alabama
  • 9 hours ago
    Alabama
    Alabama’s successful recruiting weekend has Tide with ...
  • 10 hours ago
    Alabama
    Jalen Hurts must avoid Twitter ‘negativity cesspool...
  • 10 hours ago
    Arkansas
    One of best defensive back recruits in country enjoys visit ...
  • 10 hours ago
    South Carolina
    South Carolina recruiting: Local DT Alex Huntley checks out ...
  • 10 hours ago
    Auburn
    Auburn running backs coach Tim Horton outlines Class of 2019...

Follow Us

  • © 2018 Cox Media Group
    • About DieHards Network
    • Advertise With Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Visitor Agreement
    • DawgNation
    • Land of 10
    • DieHards
  • Feedback
SportsRadar logo
The Diehards Network