NFL Draft Analyst Not High on Seattle Seahawks' Sam Howell vs. Top QB Prospects

NFL Draft Analyst Not High on Seattle Seahawks' Sam Howell vs. Top QB Prospects

Dec 31, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) attempts a / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Seahawks entered the offseason needing a young quarterback to succeed Geno Smith and may have acquired one in the trade for Sam Howell last month. Still, intriguing young passers could remain an option for the Seahawks in the 2024 NFL Draft.

As the event nears, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller weighed in on how Howell stacked up as a prospect against the likes of Caleb Williams (USC), Jayden Daniels (LSU), Drake Maye (North Carolina), J.J. McCarthy (Michigan), Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) and Bo Nix (Oregon). 

Mar 2, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Brigham Young quarterback Kedon Slovis (QB12), South Carolina / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

“I would take all of the top six way over him … In whatever order you want to (order this draft’s quarterbacks), all those guys are much higher than him,” Miller said in a conversation with Brock and Salk of Seattle Sports. “Even (South Carolina’s) Spencer Rattler, I would take Spencer Rattler over Sam Howell. And that’s not based on me saying, ‘OK, I watched him struggle at Washington last year.’ That’s based on where I had him before the draft.”

Though he isn’t overly high on Howell, Miller sees potential in the former Commanders quarterback. 

“He’s a beautiful deep-ball thrower, he’s got some good mobility, he’s tough. We saw that last year,” Miller said. “He needs a comfortable spot to shake some of his bad habits. He’s got to get the ball out faster. I think his intermediate passing is at times really, really late and it’s inaccurate at times. This is a good QB2.”