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Bucs introduce first-round pick O.J. Howard

 
Jason Licht said the Bucs have had their eye on O.J. Howard since the 2015 season, when there was a chance he would leave early after helping Alabama to a national championship.
Jason Licht said the Bucs have had their eye on O.J. Howard since the 2015 season, when there was a chance he would leave early after helping Alabama to a national championship.
Published April 28, 2017

Bucs coach Dirk Koetter was impressed to see that O.J. Howard wanted to play in the Senior Bowl at a time in which many first-rounders politely decline, and he was even more impressed when he and general manager Jason Licht saw what the Alabama tight end was able to do in the first practice in Mobile, Ala., back in January.

"First day of Senior Bowl practice in pads, Jason and I were sitting on the 35-yard line and O.J. is putting on a clinic out there," Koetter said. "After about two periods, I stood up and said to Jason, 'I've seen the guy I want,' and I walked down the stairs."

Howard, a 6-foot-6, 251-pound tight end with 4.51 speed in the 40-yard dash, went to the Bucs with the No. 19 pick on Thursday night, much lower than most had expected him to go. Howard said he had been told he could go between No. 6 and 20 and wasn't worried about the wait until he heard from the Bucs.

"I just want to say thank you to the whole Tampa Bay organization, Coach Koetter, to Mr. Licht and thank everybody for the opportunity to come and be a part of this franchise," he said. "I'm very excited to get to work, and I know we have big plans for the future."

Howard was introduced with his family, and Licht said the Bucs have had their eye on Howard since the 2015 season, when there was a chance he would leave early after helping Alabama to a national championship with two touchdown catches in the title game against Clemson. It took one more year, but the Bucs now have Howard and an exciting new weapon to add to Jameis Winston's offensive arsenal in 2017.