With the 231st pick in the draft the Rams select Travin Howard LB

[OldSchool]

LOL Zierlein didn't have a profile on him. Here's what TCU had on him.


Height / Weight:
6-1 / 213
Position:
LB
Experience:
3L



CAREER HONORS
- 2015 Honorable-Mention All-Big 12
- 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl Defensive MVP
- 2016 First-Team All-Big 12
- 2016 First-Team Associated Press All-Big 12
- 2017 Valero Alamo Bowl Defensive MVP
- 2017 First-Team All-Big 12
- 2017 Second-Team AP All-Big 12
- 2017 Honorable-Mention Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year

2017 | SENIOR
Became the first player in TCU history to lead the team in tackles for three consecutive seasons, topping the 100 mark in all three campaigns … his 108 stops on the season also enabled him to become the career leader in tackles (343) in the 17-year tenure of head coach Gary Patterson … first-team All-Big 12 for the second straight season … was also honorable-mention Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year … selected as the Valero Alamo Bowl Defensive Most Valuable Player for the second time in three seasons … started all 12 games in which he appeared … placed third in the Big 12 with his 108 total tackles, including seven for loss … had five games with double-digit stops, including four straight to end the year … recorded a season-best 15 stops in the Big 12 Championship Game against Oklahoma after missing the two previous contests due to injury … had 13 stops in the first meeting of the season with the Sooners … posted 10 tackles, two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry in his final game, the Valero Alamo Bowl win over Stanford … it was his 16th career contest in double figures in stops.

2016 | JUNIOR
Started all 13 games, including first 12 games at linebacker then at strong safety for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl ... first-team All-Big 12 and first-team Associated Press All-Big 12 ... led the Big 12 and was ninth in FBS with 130 total tackles ... posted 72 solo stops and 58 assisted tackles ... became first Frog with consecutive 100-tackle seasons since 2003-04 ... 130 total tackles the third best in a single-season in Gary Patterson's 16-year tenure at TCU ... posted double-digit tackles in eight games, including career-high 19 against Texas Tech, tied for fourth most in a single-game in Patterson's tenure ... intercepted a pass at Kansas, his second career pick ... recorded 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one fumble forced, two fumble recoveries and two pass breakups.

2015 | SOPHOMORE
Played in all 13 games in 2015 with 11 starts ... honorable mention All-Big 12 ... despite entering the season without a career tackle, Howard led the Horned Frogs in total tackles during the 2015 season with 105 stops, including 63 solo tackles ... had 8.0 tackles for loss ... had one interception, two pass breakups and four quarterback hurries on the season… had three forced fumbles … had 13 tackles in Valero Alamo Bowl with six solo stops, finishing with 1.5 tackles for loss for 9 yards and a sack of 8 yards in the win ... Defensive MVP of Valero Alabama Bowl ... had nine tackles, the first tackles of his career, including seven solo takedowns against Stephen F. Austin while posting 3.0 tackles for loss ... made first career start against SMU, making six tackles ... had nine tackles against Texas Tech with his first career pass breakup ... had first career double-figure tackle game against Texas with 12 stops ... had six stops, all solo, against Kansas State ... had eight tackles at Iowa State ... had first career interception in the fourth quarter of the West Virginia game, also recording five tackles and a pass breakup ... closed regular season with 19 tackles against Baylor, a career high and the fourth-most under Patterson ... also had a tackle for loss and a forced fumble against the Bears in the regular-season finale.

2014 | FRESHMAN
Appeared in all 13 games ... saw playing time on defense and special teams.

 

[Memento]

He's like Mark Barron, being a linebacker/safety tweener.

 

[Mackeyser]

He's like Mark Barron, being a linebacker/safety tweener.

If he can cover at the next level, I can see Barron being cut/traded after this season.

 

[Boston Ram]

If he can cover at the next level, I can see Barron being cut/traded after this season.

In favor of Travin Howard?!?

 

[Mackeyser]

In favor of Travin Howard?!?

yeah.

We have some massive contracts coming, so we're going to need this draft class to hit at a much higher than average rate in order to afford everyone we want to sign.

I think it can happen.

 

[Boston Ram]

yeah.

We have some massive contracts coming, so we're going to need this draft class to hit at a much higher than average rate in order to afford everyone we want to sign.

I think it can happen.

I agree but counting on this draft is tough. No first or second makes it tough. I will be thrilled if 2 players from this draft sign 2nd contracts with the Rams

 

[TheTackle]

CBS ranked him 120th

Looks like he was built to play on the special teams unit

Would have been a high priority UDFA

 

[den-the-coach]

So the Ram listened to their scouts that covered the Southwest especially the Lone Star State for this draft.

 

[StealYoGurley]

I actually like him more than Kiser. Fits today's NFL perfectly and will be a special teams demon. Howard Has a ton of speed, but also only trailed first round pick Leighton Vander Esch in run stop percentage. Impressive for a guy his size.

 

[den-the-coach]

Former Lobo Howard drafted by Rams; Henderson signs as free agent with Browns

Travin Howard, in his own words, has always been an underdog, something he embraced and worked to overcome.

It paid off on Saturday.

Howard, a former Longview Lobo who went on to a standout career at TCU, was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft on Saturday in Arlington.


Howard was a week away from signing with UT-San Antonio out of high school before receiving an offer and signing with TCU.

"It seems like I was always the underdog, always the guy that had to prove myself," Howard said Saturday. "I embraced that.

"I'm here now and it doesn't matter how I got here at the end of the day. That's the same mentality I'm going to keep."

Joining Howard, Zaycoven Henderson is also heading to the NFL after signing with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent, the former Texas A&M standout confirmed with the News-Journal on Saturday.

Henderson finished he career for the Aggies with 116 total tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. Henderson (6-1, 298) attended the NFL Draft Combine this past March.

Howard wrapped up his senior season with the Horned Frogs, where he left Fort Worth as the all-time leading tackler under head coach Gary Patterson.

An All-Big 12 selection during his junior and senior seasons at TCU, Howard is the first player in program history to lead the lead in tackles for three-straight seasons.

After his collegiate career finished, Howard, the 231st pick overall, went to work and stayed patient.

"I just kept working, did a lot on the track and it was a long wait getting ready for this weekend," Howard said. "It was a great feeling when I got the call and it was a big weight lifted off my shoulders.

"I expected to go a little earlier but hey, everything happens for a reason."

Howard played safety as a freshman for TCU before making the move to linebacker for the remainder of his career.


"That's how I tried to sell myself, just being a versatile player," Howard said. "I was showing them that I was able to play a few different positions."

With the wait game on, Howard returned to his grandma's house in Longview to follow the draft, a moment he said he'll never forget.

"It was crazy," Howard said. "I answered the phone, talked with the coaches and when I hung up, everyone went silent.

"I told them who it was and where I was going and everyone went berserk, everyone was lit. It was an emotional moment. I can't even describe it."

Howard is the fourth Longview Lobo in the NFL, joining Trent Williams and Pete Robertson of the Washington Redskins and Chris Ivory of the Buffalo Bills.

"It's a family," Howard said. "Lobo football means a lot and helped get us all here.

"There's a few in the league and there's more to come."

[www.news-journal.com]

 

[Ramstien]

This pick looks like a steal in the 7th round.

 

[Merlin]

I actually like him more than Kiser. Fits today's NFL perfectly and will be a special teams demon. Howard Has a ton of speed, but also only trailed first round pick Leighton Vander Esch in run stop percentage. Impressive for a guy his size.

Me too. Been saying that elsewhere. This guy is a nice fit for Wade's defense. He's got a shot, hope he makes the most of it.

Anyway. For folks to make their own decisions on him here's a cutup of him vs Stanford:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxWbtSCnY7A

 

[Ram65]

Me too. Been saying that elsewhere. This guy is a nice fit for Wade's defense. He's got a shot, hope he makes the most of it.

Anyway. For folks to make their own decisions on him here's a cutup of him vs Stanford:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxWbtSCnY7A

They ran right up the middle. Many times where Howard was a moved or was blocked. Couldn't see all the coverage but, he was not much in run defense.

 

[Memphis Ram]

I hope the plan is to move him to SS or something.

 

[1maGoh]

They ran right up the middle. Many times where Howard was a moved or was blocked. Couldn't see all the coverage but, he was not much in run defense.

Yeah, is anyone else worried about the quality of some of these highlight videos? More than one had included plays where the guy they highlight looks lost and does nothing. I'm left wondering if they tagged the wrong player in the video or if he has nothing better to put in a highlight.

 

[OldSchool]

I hope the plan is to move him to SS or something.

Why?

 

[Psycho_X]

 

[Merlin]

Yeah, is anyone else worried about the quality of some of these highlight videos? More than one had included plays where the guy they highlight looks lost and does nothing. I'm left wondering if they tagged the wrong player in the video or if he has nothing better to put in a highlight.

The key to remember here IMO is that full game cutups are more truthful than highlight reels. Fans get used to highlight reels, and if they don't watch a lot of cutups of full games or full games they aren't used to seeing all the mediocre decisions and plays most players make. I could put up tape right here of some guys who went quite high, like Landry, and you'd be like "WTF!?" because there's a lot of snaps where the dude is cruising.

IMO the real talent in evaluating players is being able to account for the players around them, coaching/scheme, opponent, etc and still use that snap to snap stuff in conjunction with the background stuff to paint a full picture. We got him at the 231st pick for a reason, basically.

 

[ReddingRam]

CBS ranked him 120th

Looks like he was built to play on the special teams unit

Would have been a high priority UDFA

IF he makes the team, he will be a ST's player and 3rd down sub package LB

 

[Psycho_X]

I don't expect Howard to make it on the field a lot his rookie season outside of special teams barring injury issues at lb'er. But I could see them giving him a lot of looks in preseason and practice at Barron's spot to see if he is a fit there. Rams gain even more cap next season by cutting Barron ($7 million if spotrac is correct) and we have a lllloooooooooooooooot of dudes to sign next off season.