Comparing Lynn Bowden Jr. to Randall Cobb feels kind of lazy.
Yes, they are both Kentucky Wildcats who spent time at quarterback in college, but will be moving to receiver full time in the NFL. And yes, both are two of the best all around football players to play at the University of Kentucky. But..well, actually it's a pretty decent comparison!
Cobb was the number three wide receiver in Dallas last season, and has been solely a wide out since entering the league. Lynn Bowden Jr. will likely have a different journey at the next level, but it's a journey I'd be willing to bet on if I were an NFL general manager.
Bowden projects as a “gadget” player at the next level – with the ability to lineup all over the field and present a wide variety of challenges to opposing defenses. At Kentucky, he was asked to move from receiver to quarterback, and excelled at the spot. Of course he was not the “traditional quarterback” other teams may covet, but Bowden got the job done in his own athletic way.
The most versatile player in college football: @LynnBowden_1 🔥@UKAthletics | #SECNTakeover pic.twitter.com/uEsCjlMwhn
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) March 21, 2020
Bowden measured up at 5'10” and 204 pounds at the NFL Combine. He's not going to be a number one receiving threat, but he could develop into a starting slot wide out in time. His development as a technical receiver was slowed because of his move to quarterback at Kentucky, but that experience only increased his abilities as an overall playmaker.
Lynn Bowden Jr. can return kicks, he can play in the slot, and he can even be brought in as a running back or a direct snap threat offensively. He's versatile, athletic, and is as competitive as they come.
Drafting him in the third round or later wouldn't give the Cowboys an immediate starting receiver, but it would give them quite the chess piece to move around offensively and complicate preparation weekly for the defense.
If you're going to draft Bowden, you better have an idea of how you are going to use him. Drafting him without a clear cut plan in mind will not only waste Bowden's time and roster spot, but it would also be a waste of a potentially useful draft pick.
This can't be a Tavon Austin situation – where you add him because of his versatility then do next to nothing with it.
Do you trust the new Cowboys coaching brass to develop a plan for someone like Lynn Bowden Jr.? Only time will tell.
