MOBILE, Ala. — Four years ago, O.J. Howard was the top high school tight end prospect in the country. The five-star recruit chose Alabama and went on to play every game for the Crimson Tide while he was on campus.

Now Howard is the projected . But after a college career that saw the team's featured tight end surpass 50 yards in a game just eight times in the last three years, Howard's NFL draft evaluation isn’t quite clear.

SENIOR BOWL: |

For Howard, the Senior Bowl won’t necessarily be about raising his draft stock, but about selling himself to teams as their first-round pick. He’s firmly in the first-round discussion, and it would be a major surprise if he fell to Round 2.

But the Senior Bowl, and the whole NFL draft process, is one big job interview. NFL teams are interviewing hundreds of players and deciding which five to 10 players they want to add to their organizations via draft picks.

Despite possessing some of the most impressive talent compared to his tight end peers, Howard will get a chance to work as more than just an inline blocker and occasional seam threat. So far, he’s done just that. He’s getting the opportunity to separate from linebackers in one-on-one coverage, work in the seam against multiple defensive fronts in seven-on-seven drills and use his development as a polished tight end to wow in team drills.

But this week, he needs to show that his lack of production in college isn’t a concern, and that he can be the centerpiece of an offense in the NFL.

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The 2017 Senior Bowl isn’t short on tight ends, and the entire draft class is loaded with potential starter or key rotational players at the position. Howard may be the top tight end for NFL teams, but decision-makers will need to decide whether Howard is worth their first-round pick, or if they can find a similar player later in the draft and go a different direction in Round 1.

Jeremy Sprinkle of Arkansas, Evan Engram of Ole Miss and Gerald Everett of South Alabama all are potential top 100 draft picks. Plus, underclassmen not able to attend the Senior Bowl such as Miami (Fla.)’s David Njoku, Virginia Tech’s Bucky Hodges and Michigan’s Jake Butt all have first-, second- or third-round grades from NFL teams.