Howard was a dominant and tenacious CB in college. Really, his one big drawback was that he was too grabby. He's gotten that in check and worked very hard since being drafted. He is one of those alphas they drafted that truly wants to be great, and has the tools to achieve greatness. Press man corners almost always come into the NFL very raw. It's a hard position to master, and there simply isn't enough time to get good at the physical and the spatial stuff in college, so they need work. Howard put his nose to the grindstone and really improved his flaws as a rookie.
Progressing so much in a year with limited preseason time to train, limited reps during the season, frustrating injuries and a whirlwind of change is very impressive. Now that he's healthy and has that year of learning under his belt. I'm expecting a big year for him, and predicted as much before OTA's. So, I'm quite happy to see this preseason displaying exactly that ... major progress. Physical, quick, fast, tenacious, good ball skills, unshakable confidence, and the ability to stay with receivers. X. Howard's upside is huge, and I think we got a gem when we drafted him.
Progressing so much in a year with limited preseason time to train, limited reps during the season, frustrating injuries and a whirlwind of change is very impressive. Now that he's healthy and has that year of learning under his belt. I'm expecting a big year for him, and predicted as much before OTA's. So, I'm quite happy to see this preseason displaying exactly that ... major progress. Physical, quick, fast, tenacious, good ball skills, unshakable confidence, and the ability to stay with receivers. X. Howard's upside is huge, and I think we got a gem when we drafted him.