Don't Eliminate Bowers As Draft Possibility

[sbk92]

Posted by jellis at 3/24/2011 2:59 PM CDT on truebluefanclub.com

For most of draft season, the consensus has been that Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers will be gone in the top five picks of the draft, if not earlier. But you never know.

Despite Bowers' agent shooting down a report that his recovery from knee surgery isn't progressing so well, different teams will have different opinions about his health based on the work of their own medical staff. It would be wrong to dismiss the possibility of Bowers falling on draft day.

And while he's not yet the prototypical size for a 3-4 defensive end, Bowers wouldn't have much weight to add to his 6-4, 280-pound frame to get there. If he could play at 290-295 pounds without losing much of his athleticism, he would project as a difference-maker at end, somebody who could get to the quarterback and defend the run on the way.

In other words, he's potentially a special player, the kind the Cowboys haven't had on the end since they started switching to the 3-4 in 2004.

With that No. 9 overall pick, they could do worse.

 

[Midswat]

Carolina would do well to either take this kid or Fairley at #1.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

There's just too many if's to take him at 9. If his injury won't hinder his NFL career. If he can add weight to his frame and not lose the one attribute that has him pegged as a top 5 pick.

No thanks.

 

[NoShame]

The IFs are too great to take him at #1... at #9 he becomes a steal. He works too hard and his potential is too good for us to pass on him at 9. Same goes for Quinn.

 

[sbk92]

People love to talk about Fairley being a one year wonder. But they don't talk about Bowers having one year of any substantial production too. The guy had 15.5 sacks this year. He had 4 total in the other two years he played. And he started most of those games. Fairley didn't do much his sophomore year but he was pretty productive considering how little he played. He had two starts as a sophomore.

I don't know what to think of him. I lean toward him being a 4-3 strong side end. I don't think he can be a stand up LB in a 3-4.

You can say he can gain some weight and play end here and maybe he can. But when he carried more weight at Clemson, he was far less productive. He leaned up for his junior year. Now maybe it was the weight or maybe it was simply the kid maturing into a player. I don't know. But I think I view the guy as more of a risky pick than almost all these draftniks seem to do.

And I'm not even talking about the questions about his knee.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

sbk as the voice of reason.

 

[sbk92]

I think I would take Tyron Smith over Bowers.

I know that goes against every value board on the planet, but hey.