2017 NFL Combine: Best Overall Performance by Position

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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 /

After the past few seasons, nobody was bound to be surprised by O.J. Howard. The Alabama tight end showcased his skills in each of the past two College Football Playoff national championships, and he came to Indianapolis hyped as one of the top tight ends entering this year’s NFL Draft.

Nothing that Howard did at this year’s NFL Combine did anything to dissuade teams from thinking highly of the Crimson Tide product. Howard ran a 4.51 time in the 40, finishing second behind only Evan Engram among tight ends. He tied for third-best in the bench press with 22 reps, and even though the jumping drills were his weakest events he still finished 12th in the vertical leap and seventh in the broad jump.

Howard truly separated himself from every other tight end in the cone and shuttle drills. The Tide tight end put up the top time in the three-cone drill, finishing seven-hundredths ahead of Engram. He was also the leader in both the 20- and 60-yard shuttles, outpacing FIU’s Jonnu Smith in both cases. While Howard was already being discussed as a potential first-round prospect, he did everything possible to consolidate that position at the NFL Combine.

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