The safety position in the NFL is in a constant state of flux relative to its value — especially as more teams look for hybrid-type players. It wasn’t long ago we saw Jamal Adams get traded for first-round picks, despite being extremely limited in coverage and relegated to playing in the box. Yet, a true ball hawk who can line up across a secondary can turn a defense around.
Jordan Howden is hoping to hear his name called in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he may have to wait a while, or not hear his name at all. Below is everything you need to know curated in Howden’s scouting report.
Jordan Howden NFL Draft Profile
- Position: Free Safety
- School: Minnesota
- Year: Fifth-Year Senior
Howden attended Desert Pines High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he played his senior year. That year, he notched 45 tackles and three interceptions while earning All-Conference honors.
Howden was a multi-sport star, lettering in track, where he excelled as a senior and won the NIAA 3A State Championship in the long jump (21-05.00) and was on the relay teams that took first in the 4×100 and 4×200 meters. He also placed fourth in the state meet in the 100 meters.
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In his freshman season at Minnesota, Howden played in 13 games and started five. In those games, he recorded 45 tackles and broke up three passes with one interception. As a sophomore, Howden again played in all 13 games, but this time, started 12. He recorded 57 tackles and broke up six passes with one interception.
In his COVID-shortened junior season, Howden played in all seven games, made 37 tackles, and broke up one pass. The following year, he started all 12 games he played in, making 43 tackles and breaking up five passes. Howden saved his best for last in his final season when he started all 13 games, made 58 tackles, had 3.5 tackles for loss, broke up five passes, and had two interceptions.
Jordan Howden Scouting Report
Strengths: Hard-working, run-defending safety with good instincts. Physical, plays faster than his 40 time, and quickly picks up assignments. Keeps the action in front of him, stays on the receiver’s hip, and shows solid ball skills facing the action. Tracks the pass in the air, has a nice move to the throw, and displays good hands for the interception. Fires upfield to defend the run and wraps up tackling.
Weaknesses: Comes with average speed despite playing faster than his 40 time. Slow getting his head back around to track the pass in the air in man-coverage situations and does a lot of faceguarding.
Overall: Howden was productive all five seasons he was on the field at Minnesota and is a zone-safety prospect who should also add value on special teams.
Jordan Howden Combine Measurements and Results
The NFL Scouting Combine gives us a great opportunity to see how players stack up in various testing environments. Luckily, PFN has full databases of both NFL Combine measurements and NFL Combine results. Below is everything you need to know from Howden’s Combine performance.
- Height: 5115
- Weight: 203 pounds
- Arm: 32 ¼”
- Hand: 9 ½”
- Bench Press: 14
- 40-Yard Dash: 4.49 seconds
Jordan Howard Current Draft Projection
According to Tony Pauline’s Big Board, Howden is a fifth-round prospect based on his grade of 3.43. He’s ranked as Tony’s 12th-best available safety and 169th-ranked overall prospect.
Howden’s Relative Athletic Score of 8.88 is considered “great.” His size is about average for the position, perhaps a bit undersized regarding his height. At only 14 reps, Howden’s bench press was considered “poor.”
Some scouts may like to see that higher, but functionally, the bench has little bearing on football ability. It’s actually more of a test of effort, based on how simple it is to improve one’s bench reps. Scouts use it as a litmus test to see who got in the weight room.
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For speed, Howden is considered “elite.” His 4.49 40-yard dash time is considered “great,” and his 10-yard split was “elite.” Howden also has good vertical jumping ability and is average as an explosive broad jumper. Agility is another strong point for Howden, as his three-cone drill was great, with an average short shuttle time.
Howden had a decent college résumé coming out of Minnesota. He possesses NFL-level athletic traits that could see several teams looking to develop him within their system. Howden will likely need to contribute to special teams to get his career started. With this in mind, the Cleveland Browns or hometown Minnesota Vikings could be good fits for him.