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San Francisco 49ers: Why Alabama TE O.J. Howard Is a Dark-Horse NFL Draft Candidate

By Peter Panacy

Mar 4, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide tight end O.J. Howard goes through workout drills during the 2017 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide tight end O.J. Howard goes through workout drills during the 2017 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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The San Francisco 49ers need plenty of defensive help in the 2017 NFL Draft. But with a mismatch nightmare in Alabama tight end O.J. Howard, the Niners could easily get creative in Round 1 and make him a prime target.

In all likelihood, the San Francisco 49ers will focus on defense throughout most of the 2017 NFL Draft.

General manager John Lynch largely addressed the offensive side of the ball via free agency, which means a lackluster 2016 defense should receive reinforcements via the draft, right?

Probably. But that doesn’t mean the Niners will avoid offensive playmakers altogether.

San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

And one of those players Lynch could be targeting is Alabama tight end O.J. Howard.

Before we break down Howard’s possible fit in San Francisco, let’s understand the 49ers’ needs on the defensive side of the ball can largely be addressed via a deep draft class. The team needs cornerbacks, but this year offers a deep class. The same goes with edge rushers and defensive linemen.

Linebackers may be a bit thin, but the Niners did sign free-agent Malcolm Smith. It’s not a perfect match, but it’s surely better than anything San Francisco fielded a year ago.

So how is Howard — see what I did there — a dark-horse candidate for the Niners in Round 1?

Let’s take a look.

O.J. Howard Draft Position and Value

The 49ers currently own the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. According to CBS Sports, Howard is the No. 7-ranked prospect, which means this isn’t quite the value for San Francisco should the team stay put with the current draft spot.

But if you believe the rumors the Carolina Panthers are interested in moving up to No. 2 overall, Howard to the Niners makes a bit more sense:

Let’s assume Lynch makes this move. First, it gives the 49ers more draft capital — they need it — and makes a possible Howard acquisition much more feasible and worthwhile.

And it wouldn’t cost the Niners anything in terms of landing additional defensive talent in later rounds, especially considering how deep many of these defensive classes are this year.

No Shortage of Production from Howard

Without question, Howard is the most talented tight end in this year’s draft class. It’s not even close.

As his 4.51 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine suggests, Howard is more than capable of offering up mismatches from anywhere on the field. And quarterbacks would love his 6-foot-6, 251-pound frame as a red-zone threat.

Receiving & Rushing Table
ReceReceReceRece
YearSchoolConfClassPosGRecYdsAvgTD
*2013AlabamaSECFRTE101426919.22
*2014AlabamaSECSOTE91726015.30
*2015AlabamaSECJRTE123860215.82
2016AlabamaSECSRTE154559513.23
CareerAlabama114172615.17

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 3/29/2017.

To sweeten matters even more, CBS Sports’ Rob Rang even compared Howard to Seattle Seahawks TE Jimmy Graham — a game-changing playmaker in his own right.

Sure, Howard’s blocking could use some improvement. But the same argument was made about former 49ers tight end Vernon Davis. And he wound up being one of the better blockers during the peak of his career.

What It Would Mean for the 49ers

San Francisco’s current crop of tight ends consists of Vance McDonald, Garrett Celek, Logan Paulsen and Blake Bell.

Paulsen is likely safe on the roster, and both McDonald and Celek signed extensions in recent seasons. But that doesn’t mean Lynch is locked into keeping either on the 53-man roster moving forward.

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And Bell has a slim chance at best.

If drafted, Howard would not only emerge as the best pass-catching tight end out of this bunch. He’d be one of the most dynamic offensive threats on San Francisco’s roster this season and beyond.

So it’s not too much of a reach to think the Niners would target a player like Howard if they traded down and he was available.

Next: 49ers 7-Round Mock for the 2017 NFL Draft

For a team lacking playmakers, Lynch could surely do worse than add Howard to the roster.