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5 Reasons the Bears Shouldn’t Draft O.J. Howard

By Greg O'Shalae

Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide tight end O.J. Howard (88) scores a touchdown during the third quarter against the Clemson Tigers in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide tight end O.J. Howard (88) scores a touchdown during the third quarter against the Clemson Tigers in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 1, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels tight end Evan Engram (17) battles for possession of the ball with Memphis Tigers defensive back Jahmahl Pardner (26) during the third quarter of the game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mississippi won 48-28. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels tight end Evan Engram (17) battles for possession of the ball with Memphis Tigers defensive back Jahmahl Pardner (26) during the third quarter of the game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mississippi won 48-28. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /

The depth at tight end in the 2017 NFL draft is the deepest it’s been in a long time.

Just look at this list of TEs that were invited to the combine!

By all accounts, this is one of the best TE drafts in history.  One unnamed executive recently told NFL.com that TE was the deepest position in the draft, and at least 7 of the players available would make an immediate impact.

First Tier TEs

Guys like Evan Engram, David Njoku, Jordan Leggett, Gerald Everett, and Bucky Hodges put up better stats and look to be day one contributors.  Before the combine, there was a lot of discussion about Engram as the #1 TE.  Without the one day underwear Olympics, it’s easy to see from game film how someone could pick one of the above before OJ Howard.

Wildcard TEs

Then there are wild cards like Jake Butt, Adam Shaheen, and Jonnu Smith.  Butt unfortunately tore his ACL in a bowl game, otherwise he’d likely be in the top 5 TEs this year.  Shaheen is a 6’6″, 278lb monster from D-II Ashland.  He had 26 TDs the past two years.  He could easily slip a huddle of Chicago Bear offensive linemen and nobody would notice.  As for Jonnu Smith, all he did was go neck and neck with Howard at the combine.  Smith put up similar numbers the entire way, besting Howard by 8 inches and 6 inches on the vertical jump and broad jump, respectively.

All three are often mocked in the middle rounds (i.e. 3-5) because of their potential.

This draft is so deep at TE, a guy like Michael Roberts from Toledo had 16 TDs and he’s not even in the top ten at the position!  He’s thought of as a “third tight end.”

Picking Howard at #3 would be a huge mistake when a comparable player could be selected later.

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