The Raiders signed O.J. Howard the other day, and Ian Rapoport suggested he's a possible replacement for Darren Waller. Unlikely. Howard has never really lived up to his status as a former first-round draft pick, and after tearing his Achilles a couple of years ago, he needs to prove he can even be an asset, let along a No. 1.
That injury occurred in 2020, and the next season he was on the field but not a big factor -- 14 catches in 17 games. He was with Buffalo last preseason, then caught on with Houston, but again contributed sparingly, with 10 catches in 13 contests.
Even before the injury, Howard has been a disappointment. He struggled with drops early on in Tampa Bay, never really putting together a breakout year.
When tight ends are selected in the first round, like Howard was, those guys are generally significant contributors in the passing game. (This is especially noteworthy this year, with multiple incoming college prospects with a shot at being drafted in the first round next month -- Michael Mayer and Dalton Kincaid the favorites.) Howard's one of the few who it hasn't really happened for yet.
Since 2000, there have been 25 tight ends selected in the first round of the draft. Of those players, only two have failed to post at least one top-12 season at their position: Anthony Becht, and Howard. Fourteen of the 25 (so far) have multiple such seasons.
Table shows the best career seasons from every tight end selected in the first round since 2000. Not that all of those guys lived up to expectations (Jerramy Stevens, certainly, was a disappointment), but Howard is definitely one of the bigger disappointments.
| FIRST-ROUND TES, BEST SEASONS (2000-PRESENT) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draft | Pk | Best | Player | Tgt | No | Yds | TD | PPR | Rk |
| 2021 | 4 | 2021 | Kyle Pitts, Atl. | 110 | 68 | 1026 | 1 | 176.6 | 6 |
| 2019 | 20 | 2020 | Noah Fant, Den. | 93 | 62 | 673 | 3 | 149.3 | 8 |
| 2019 | 8 | 2022 | T.J. Hockenson, 2TM | 129 | 86 | 914 | 6 | 217.4 | 2 |
| 2018 | 25 | 2020 | Hayden Hurst, Atl. | 88 | 56 | 571 | 6 | 149.1 | 10 |
| 2017 | 29 | 2018 | David Njoku, Cle. | 88 | 56 | 639 | 4 | 143.9 | 9 |
| 2017 | 23 | 2022 | Evan Engram, Jac. | 98 | 73 | 766 | 4 | 176.9 | 5 |
| 2017 | 19 | 2018 | O.J. Howard, T.B. | 48 | 34 | 565 | 5 | 120.5 | 15 |
| 2014 | 10 | 2018 | Eric Ebron, Ind. | 110 | 66 | 750 | 14 | 224.2 | 4 |
| 2013 | 21 | 2015 | Tyler Eifert, Cin. | 74 | 52 | 615 | 13 | 191.5 | 8 |
| 2010 | 21 | 2012 | Jermaine Gresham, Cin. | 94 | 64 | 737 | 5 | 167.7 | 10 |
| 2009 | 20 | 2011 | Brandon Pettigrew, Det. | 126 | 83 | 777 | 5 | 190.7 | 6 |
| 2008 | 30 | 2011 | Dustin Keller, NYJ | 115 | 65 | 815 | 5 | 176.5 | 10 |
| 2007 | 31 | 2016 | Greg Olsen, Car. | 129 | 80 | 1073 | 3 | 207.3 | 3 |
| 2006 | 28 | 2010 | Marcedes Lewis, Jac. | 89 | 58 | 700 | 10 | 188.0 | 4 |
| 2006 | 6 | 2010 | Vernon Davis, S.F. | 93 | 56 | 914 | 7 | 191.4 | 2 |
| 2005 | 30 | 2012 | Heath Miller, Pitt. | 101 | 71 | 816 | 8 | 202.6 | 4 |
| 2004 | 32 | 2015 | Benjamin Watson, N.O. | 110 | 74 | 825 | 6 | 192.5 | 7 |
| 2004 | 6 | 2006 | Kellen Winslow, Cle. | 120 | 89 | 875 | 3 | 194.5 | 3 |
| 2003 | 24 | 2009 | Dallas Clark, Ind. | 133 | 100 | 1106 | 10 | 271.7 | 1 |
| 2002 | 21 | 2004 | Daniel Graham, N.E. | 48 | 30 | 364 | 7 | 108.4 | 10 |
| 2002 | 14 | 2005 | Jeremy Shockey, NYG | 121 | 65 | 891 | 7 | 198.1 | 3 |
| 2002 | 28 | 2005 | Jerramy Stevens, Sea. | 68 | 45 | 554 | 5 | 130.4 | 12 |
| 2001 | 31 | 2002 | Todd Heap, Balt. | 122 | 68 | 836 | 6 | 193.4 | 1 |
| 2000 | 27 | 2001 | Anthony Becht, NYJ | 53 | 36 | 321 | 5 | 98.1 | 13 |
| 2000 | 14 | 2002 | Bubba Franks, G.B. | 71 | 54 | 442 | 7 | 145.8 | 5 |
A sign that the Raiders aren't expecting big things from Howard is that even after signing him they were reportedly meeting with another free agent, Austin Hooper. So they're not done adding to the position. Howard will not be on my list of 2023 tight end sleepers.
--Andy Richardson