Tytus Howard NFL Draft 2019: Scouting Report For Houston Texans' Pick
The Howard Enigma: Dissecting the Houston Texans' 2019 First-Round Gamble The 2019 NFL Draft remains a controversial chapter in the Houston Texans’ recent history, largely due to their selection of Tytus Howard, a left tackle from Alabama State, with the 23rd overall pick.
This decision, seemingly defying conventional wisdom given Howard’s perceived lack of high-level competition in college, sparked intense debate among scouts, analysts, and fans alike.
This investigation delves into the complexities surrounding the Howard selection, exploring the conflicting scouting reports, the Texans' rationale, and the ultimately mixed results of this high-stakes gamble.
Thesis Statement: The Houston Texans' selection of Tytus Howard in the 2019 NFL Draft, while appearing risky given his background, reflected a calculated strategy balancing perceived potential with positional value, but ultimately failed to fully justify the first-round investment due to a combination of unforeseen development hurdles and contextual factors.
The pre-draft narrative surrounding Howard was fraught with inconsistencies.
While possessing undeniable physical tools – impressive size, length, and athleticism – his collegiate experience at Alabama State, a Football Championship Series (FCS) program, raised serious questions about the quality of opposition he faced.
Many scouting reports highlighted his raw talent, projecting significant upside, but simultaneously expressed concern about his technical refinement and readiness for the NFL’s elite pass rushers.
This dichotomy is reflected in the wide range of draft grades assigned to him, with some placing him firmly in the first round while others relegated him to Day 3 consideration.
This divergence highlights a fundamental flaw in scouting – the difficulty in accurately assessing talent from less visible college programs and translating FCS performance to NFL success.
Pro Football Focus (PFF), for example, noted Howard's strong pass-blocking metrics in college, citing his ability to mirror effectively and possess the physical attributes to handle top-tier edge rushers.
However, their analysis also cautioned that his inexperience against high-level competition will be a significant hurdle.
This observation reflects a common challenge in scouting small-school prospects: the lack of readily available, high-quality film against comparable opponents limits the ability to definitively gauge true NFL readiness.
Conversely, some analysts argued the Texans placed too much emphasis on potential, overlooking crucial aspects of his game.
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah, while acknowledging Howard's physical gifts, pointed to his inconsistent technique and struggles with counter moves as significant flaws that needed addressing.
This perspective underscores a crucial element of the debate: the inherent risk associated with investing a high draft pick in a player requiring extensive development, especially when alternative, potentially safer options existed at other positions.
The Texans' rationale, as explained post-draft, centered on the value of securing a franchise left tackle.
The team's offensive line had been a consistent weakness, hindering the effectiveness of their star quarterback, Deshaun Watson.
By selecting Howard, the Texans seemingly prioritized filling a crucial need over adhering strictly to perceived rankings, betting on his potential to become a cornerstone player.
This strategy, while understandable in context, exposed them to substantial risk given the uncertainty inherent in projecting the development of a raw prospect from a lower-level college program.
However, the subsequent years have cast doubt on the wisdom of the Texans' decision.
While Howard has shown flashes of brilliance, consistently exhibiting his athleticism and strength, his development has been slower than anticipated.
He has struggled with consistency, particularly in pass protection, failing to fully live up to his first-round billing.
This observation raises questions about the Texans' player development program and the effectiveness of their coaching staff in maximizing Howard’s potential.
Ultimately, the Howard pick exemplifies the inherent challenges and uncertainties involved in NFL draft evaluation.
The limited data available on FCS players, coupled with the inherent subjectivity of scouting and the variability in player development trajectories, makes definitive pre-draft assessments extremely difficult.
The Texans’ decision, while arguably based on sound positional value rationale and a high-upside gamble, lacked the guarantee of success, highlighting the significant risk-reward inherent in investing a high-value draft pick in a player requiring substantial refinement.
The Howard case serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us that even the most promising talent requires the right environment and coaching to flourish at the NFL level, a factor that ultimately proved insufficient in fulfilling the considerable expectations placed on him.
Further research into scouting methodologies and player development programs within the NFL could potentially shed further light on improving the accuracy of these high-stakes selections in the future.