Alabama football NFL Draft bust No. 6: O.J. Howard
2017 NFL Draft, Round 1, Pick 19
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2017-2021
Houston Texans, 2022
It appears that the Tampa Bay Bucs don’t have a lot of luck when it comes to drafting Alabama football players in the first round. In 2017, the NFC South team selected tight end O.J. Howard with the 19th overall selection and were likely hoping they were getting a tight end that would be a heck of a blocker but could also be a significant weapon in their passing game.
Howard caught 83 passes for 1,100 yards in his final two seasons with the Alabama football team. How could Tampa know that the tight end would never really come close to the 45 catches he had in his senior season?
Howard has never hauled down more than 34 passes in a season and hasn’t notched more than 14 receptions in a season since 2019. In 2022, after a five-year run with Tampa, where he saw his catches and playing time diminish, he jumped over to the Houston Texans.
Playing for one of the league’s worst teams, the first-round pick got a fresh start, though it’s looked like more of the same so far. He amassed just 10 catches for 145 yards with the Texans last season. Of course, should Houston draft another former Alabama football player, perhaps the two alumni can form a bond.