Draft day is finally here and Washington has made their pick. Sam Howell was supposed to be gone by at least the 2nd round. The NFL did not like this year’s QB class. Sam Howell is now the first QB ever drafted by the Washington Commanders under their new name. Washington traded for QB Carson Wentz and is planning to build around him. They did a lot of work on this QB class before the trade, and after it turned into finding a QB to develop.
Washington still has Taylor Heinicke under contract for another year, but now they have someone who can compete for the primary backup role this year and beyond. And if the Wentz experiment goes bust after one year, they can move on and assess their QB situation with Howell and Heinicke as options.
Out of the top quarterbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft, Sam Howell is by far the most frustrating. On one hand, you see the arm strength, improvisational ability, and how he made some laser throws down the field. While on the other hand, you see a player marred with inconsistencies. During this season, you saw a rollercoaster of a quarterback. A player that hit some ridiculous throws, but also missed some lay-ups. Out of the top quarterbacks in this class, it wouldn’t shock me in the slightest if Howell ended up being the best. It also wouldn’t shock me if Howell ended up as the worst. In this video breakdown, I looked at Sam Howell’s strength and weaknesses as he enters the 2022 NFL Draft. I currently have him as a mid-second round grade.
Washington’s draft picks:
Round 1(#16): Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State
Round 2(#47): Phidarian Mathis, DL, Alabama
Round 3(#98): Brian Robinson Jr., RB, Alabama
Round 4(#113): Percy Butler, S, Louisiana
Round 5(#144): Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
Round 5(#149):
Round 7(#230):
Round 7(#240):