Perfect Spot: Commanders QB Sam Howell 'Super Excited' to Land in Washington

Sliding to the fifth round, the projected first round quarterback is taking his NFL start in stride

ASHBURN, Va. -- The weekend of surprises continues for the Washington Commanders in the NFL Draft. 

If you thought wide receiver Jahan Dotson was a reach in the first round, then maybe the fifth-round selection of North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell will offset that. 

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New Washington Commanders quarterback, Sam Howell

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New Washington Commanders quarterback, Sam Howell reuniting in the NFL with collegiate teammate Dyami Brown

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Washington Commanders

For Howell, he's happy with the results, landing with the team he says he wanted to play for all along. 

"It's been a whirlwind last couple days," Howell said. "But for me I was just trusting in God throughout the whole process...I'm super excited to join this wonderful football team...and this is the perfect spot for me."

Immediate reactions to the pick seem to agree with Howell, who will come in as a backup to Washington quarterback Carson Wentz, and is expected to compete with Taylor Heinicke for depth chart placement. 

"I just think it's a great team," Howell said. "Great defense (and) so many great weapons on offense, and I love the quarterback room as well."

Every year the draft is a beast every analyst tries to pin down, and we never get it right. 

Curveballs, unexpected trades, and late-stage revelations always throw off months of evaluating, but nothing in recent memory measures up to the quarterback slides we've seen in this year's selections. 

Following his 2020 season with North Carolina, Howell was projected as a potential No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft. 

After losing all of his weapons, however, Howell struggled to replicate the same production in 2021, and the result was a four-round slide from where he was once projected. 

The good news is, he's getting to play with one of those weapons again, in with Commanders wide receiver Dyami Brown.

"He's one of my best friends," Howell said of Brown. "We had so much fun together at North Carolina so I just can't wait to play with him again."

As much as Howell is appreciating his spot, playing with Brown, and ultimately heading to the NFL, nobody could really blame him if he were disappointed a bit with how far his slide lasted. 

New Washington Commanders quarterback, Sam Howell

Washington Commanders quarterback, Carson Wentz

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Washington Commanders wide receiver, Dyami Brown

But the quarterback says he's taking the lessons of 2021 that brought him to this spot in stride and is using them to fuel future success.

"I wouldn't trade last year for anything," Howell said. "I think I learned so much this past season that made me overall a better football player and a better person."

Howell is headed to the NFL, exactly where he was supposed to go when the weekend started. 

And the Washington Commanders get another shot at identifying their next franchise quarterback, which is what everyone wanted to see happen when the offseason started without a playoff game to end 2021.