The NFL Combine is a chance for prospects to boost their stock ahead of the annual draft.
Players who took part in the events at Lucas Oil Stadium have the opportunity to wow scouts with their speed in the 40-yard dash, their agility in drills, and their explosiveness in the broad and vertical jumps.
But, of course, there is always a chance that things might not go to plan.
While those who exceed expectations can see their draft stock rise, others who don’t bring their A-game could hurt their chances of being selected on Day 1 or Day 2 when the NFL Draft begins in April.
It seems Will Howard, unfortunately, might fall into the latter category.
Less than two months ago, the Ohio State quarterback was at the top of the college football world, leading the Buckeyes to its first national title since the inaugural College Football Playoff in the 2014 season.
He was looking to ride that momentum at the scouting combine, and many were excited to see him work out in Indianapolis.
The 6’4″, 236-pound passer connected on several shorter throws during his drills, showing his ability to move an offense when in sync with his receivers.
But he struggled with some of his longer passes, failing to connect with his receivers on some deep balls.
Some of his throws were inaccurate, with receivers needing to jump or stretch to try and catch passes that should have been routine, while others were completely off target.
His combine workout likely won’t help Howard convince teams he has all of the tools of an NFL starter.
League insider Chris Trapasso, who writes for CBS Sports, even went as far as describing the quarterback’s showing as ‘ugly’.
“Howard was one of the biggest quarterbacks among this year’s group – unquestionably a positive,” Trapasso wrote.
“While he deserves respect for testing, Howard had the lowest vertical and broad of the tiny collection of quarterbacks.
“Beyond that, he was noticeably inaccurate at all levels of the field during the throwing session, missing high and behind his targets. It was ugly.”
A compilation of some of Howard’s throws was also shared on social media, with some fans questioning if the Buckeyes’ prospect is ready to start in the NFL.
“I thought he looked below average at best,” one person wrote.
“Yikes,” a second said.
“He doesn’t want to go to the Giants or the Jets,” a third joked.
Others jumped in to defend Howard, noting he was throwing to receivers he had never met before, and that he will impress more at his pro day.
But the attention he has drawn seems to suggest that Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward, two of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft, were right to skip the combine workouts.
The pair had indicated previously they weren’t planning to do on-field drills, before confirming their decision last week.
Seeing top prospects skipping the workouts is not a new trend, with Sanders and Ward joining a long list of names who have opted out in previous years.
No. 1 overall picks Caleb Williams, Bryce Young and Joe Burrow all decided to skip the workouts, as did last year’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels.
