The first round draft pick out of Alabama is the first of the Buccaneers draft picks to sign his rookie contract. The contract is a standard four-year contract with a fifth -year option. Although the exact details of the deal have not been released yet, it is speculated to be worth over $11 million with more than $6 million signing bonus.
Howard was expected to be drafted in the top 10 of the 2017 draft but surprisingly fell to Tampa at 19th. While at Alabam he had not put up huge numbers and only scored seven touchdowns in his entire college career. However, if his performance in both National Championship is any indication of what he is capable of producing for Tampa, then the Bucs may have gotten one of the biggest steals of the 2017 NFL draft.