Expert Evaluations of Newest Texan Tytus Howard

https://texanswire.usatoday.com/2019/04/01/alabama-state-ot-tytus-howard-texans-attention/

This article was published on the State of the Texans

With the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans selected Tytus Howard, a senior out of Alabama State University. After allowing a league-high 65 sacks in 2018 to 2019, the Texans were determined to find a solution to their major offensive line problem. By selecting Tytus Howard, the Texans hope to accomplish this goal. Tytus Howard is more of a project selection coming from a small school. However, he made a name for himself at the Senior Bowl and, through development, can be a great solution for this terrible offensive line.

Tytus Howard has been praised as a gifted athlete with a unique speed and acceleration. However, Lance Zierlein, an analyst for NFL.com, stated that Howard is an “ascending tackle prospect” that needs more work with technique and as well as strength and condition in order to achieve his upside and full potential. Zierlein lists some of his strengths as being very athletic and being able to keep defensive linemen in check and prevent them from getting past hem.

However, Howard does have several weaknesses that he can definitely improve on as a tackle with the Houston Texans. Howard’s hand placement and strength need more improvement. In addition, he lacks core strength and some skills. Another weakness for Howard is that he is a small school prospect who did not often face top end talent. As a result, he might not be prepared for the top competition in the NFL. However, Zierlein concludes that despite these weaknesses, which can be fixed through 1 or 2 years, Howard has the capability of being a starter within in two years. This is critical for the Texans as they need a reliable and talented tackle for years to come, and Tytus Howard offers just that.

In addition, theScore staff evaluated Tytus Howard as a tackle with great frame and athleticism, which translates into fluidity as a tackle. In addition, Howard has been touted as a “smooth and effective second-level run blocker”. This is key as the AFC South has a plethora of great running backs like Derrick Henry, Leonard Fournette, and Marlon Mack. Tytus Howard’s expertise in run blocking can fully mitigate the damage that opposing running backs can do the Texans. However, he needs to improve his strength (especially his core strength) in order to oppose and protect Deshaun Watson from defensive linemen. Similar to Zierlein's comments, Howard needs to improve his skill set in order to fully utilize his athleticism. In conclusion, Tytus Howard has a ton of potential and through some training, he can achieve it.

Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller also recognized Tytus Howard’s unique athletic ability as a “mover”. Also, Howard has been noted as good in body control and his flexibility of playing both guard and tackle (including both tackles).In addition, Miller also focuses on Tytus Howard’s point of attack, making him an “impactful drive blocker”. In addition, Miller also understands that although being a small school player from the FCS, Howard was still able to handle the competition at the Senior Bowl and against Auburn. However, a weakness that Miller points out is Howard’s limited playing time and experience. In addition, similar to the opinions made by both theScore and Lance Zierlein, Miller recognizes that Howard needs to improve his upper body strength and needs to develop on his skillset. However, Miller concludes that although he has a developmental label, he is extremely fast and his upside is “perhaps the highest of any tackle in the class”.

All in all, Tytus Howard is thought of a great tackle who has great potential. However, he does have several debilitating weaknesses. Most pundits agree that if those weaknesses are fixed, Howard can be a great starter for the Texans.

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/tytus-howard?id=3219484f-5743-2152-432d-da3c484cb3f8

https://www.thescore.com/nfl/news/1758430

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2824342-tytus-howard-nfl-draft-2019-scouting-report-for-houston-texans-pick