OT Tytus Howard, Alabama St.

6’5” – 322 lbs. – 5.05
Played quarterback and basketball in high school, and then tight end during his first season at Alabama St. Switched over to the offensive line in 2015, starting six of eight games played there, then seven of seven games played the following season. Put together a full season in the starting lineup this past year to conclude his collegiate career. Tall, long-limbed right tackle with good bulk, especially in the lower body. Has pretty good-looking pass sets; able to bend at the knees over a wide base, keep his back straight, and use clean footwork in his kickslide. Hand use is more questionable. Doesn’t have a violent punch to knock opponents off-balance; lets them get into his body too frequently, and overall hand placement tends to be low instead of delivering high strikes to the chest plate. Despite his thick lower body, may still need to develop additional functional strength, as he can be susceptible to power-rushers. Despite being a good athlete, can sometimes struggle to get enough depth to protect the edge against speed, forcing him to abandon his technique in an attempt to push opposing defensive ends wide of the pocket. Still a work in progress as a run blocker. Comes from a shotgun-based offense in which he was taking snaps out of a two-point stance even on rushing downs and will need to get used to playing with his hand in the dirt. Was asked to do a lot of blocking on angles, and flashes the short-area quickness to slant up to the second level and successfully engage opponents. However, a few factors prevent him from generating a lot of push. Although he bends at the knees in pass protection, in the run game he tends to play high-hipped, and his legs can often go dead on contact. Same issues with hand use arise in the run game; rather than firing out low and getting his hands into an opponent’s chest plate, tends to rise up and use his hands low. Finally, doesn’t play with much of a killer instinct to dominate opponents through the whistle. An interesting developmental prospect who looks impressive on the hoof, who has above-average athleticism for his size, and who has an encouraging trajectory, having only played on the offensive line for a few seasons. Needs to clean up his hand use, play with better leverage, leg drive, and physicality in the run game, and adjust to a much high level of competition, but has starting traits.