Sam Howell and the top 5 steals from Day 3 of 2022 NFL draft

North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell fell all the way to the fifth round in the 2022 NFL draft but he could prove to be among the top steals.

When you get to the third day of the NFL draft, you start hearing names that you’ve never heard before and much of the talk is about potential gems and sleepers.

Players that fall to rounds 4-7 are still very talented. The majority of NFL rosters are made up of those draft picks, plus a bunch of undrafted free agents.

The first three rounds are where premium talent is found most often, but if you watched the draft coverage, you know there are plenty of late-round gems and steals every single year.

The 2022 NFL draft will be no different and while it’s never easy to pick out the steals from the annual selection meeting, here are five day-three draft picks teams should feel very good about.

Sam Howell to Washington (5th round)

Prior to the 2021 college football season, many viewed Sam Howell as a potential first-round pick after he led the Tar Heels to a major bowl game in 2020. And during his career with the Tar Heels, the 6-foot-1, 220-pound quarterback dazzled, throwing for 92 touchdowns compared to just 23 interceptions. He completed 63 percent of his passes and there’s no doubt he’s got an NFL arm.

He was expected to go off the board on day two of the draft, possibly as high as early in the second round. It was clear that NFL teams didn’t value this class of quarterbacks as highly as others, but in the fifth round, this was a perfect investment for Washington.

The Commanders have Carson Wentz but he’s never been able to stay healthy. Howell can be a developmental option, yet he’s got starter ability and is among the most pro-ready prospects just because he’s played so much in a pro-style offense.

At the very least, Washington is getting a backup QB with upside for the next few years as it tries to determine if Wentz can really be the long-term answer.