O’Terrius Jabari “OJ” Howard is an unrestricted free agent tight end who has played the five NFL seasons of his rookie contract with the Tampa Bay Buccanneers. Attending Autauga Academy in Prattville, Alabama, Howard was a five-start recruit, was considered the top tight end in the nation and accepted an offer to play his college ball at Alabama.
Despite his pedigree, OJ Howard was lightly used in Tuscaloosa, catching just seven touchdown passes in his four years. That seemed to be more of a Nick Saban thing, though, as Howard’s 33 receptions in 2015 were, to that point, the most ever by tight end in the Saban era. Howard’s 15.8 yards per reception were No. 8 in the SEC that year, an amazing feat from a tight end. His career highlight came in the 2015 National Championship win over Clemson, when he posted five catches, 208 yards and two 50-plus yard receiving scores. Howard would set a new personal high in receptions in 2016 with 46.
A tight end unicorn of athleticism, Howard lit up the 2017 Combine, posting a 96th-percentile 40 time & 96th-percentile agility to pair with a 78th-percentile wingspan. His combine perfomance and solid-if-unspectacular college stats helped drive Tampa Bay to select Howard with the 19th overall pick.
Howard saw immediate playing time as a rookie, splitting duties with Cameron Brate. While Howard led NFL tight ends in average target distance and yards per reception as a rookie, Brate earned twice the targets & red zone looks. Howard put up six scores on just an 8.0-percent target share, though, earned three TE1 weeks and finished with the No. 17 fantasy ranking.
2018 would be a repeat, with Howard and Brate splitting targets, receptions and touchdowns. Howard’s No. 2 average target distance, No. 11 catch rate and No. 1 YAC helped carry him to the No. 5 fantasy ranking with 12.1 points per game. He was lost for the year, though, after Week 11 foot and ankle injuries.
In 2019, although Howard saw most of the tight end snaps, he and his doppelganger Brate once again split most everything the tight end position has to offer – targets, red zone targets, receptions and fantasy points per game. Despite a TE1 ADP heading into 2019, O.J. scored just one touchdown and slipped to TE No. 30.
In 2020, he ruptured his achilles tendon in Week 4 & was lost for the year. In 2021, still recoving and then third on the Bucs’ depth chart behind Brate and Rob Gronkowski, Howard saw only 30-percent of the Bucs’ snaps and finished with the No. 58 tight end fantasy ranking. 2022 hopes to be more promising after signing with the Buffalo Bills, but he will still be a backup, this time to Dawson Knox.
