*Walt taking 2014 and 2018 |
Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst |
Teams See Bowser in the Early Rounds
Updated April 15, 2017By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.
One of the highest-rising prospects during the lead up to the 2017 NFL Draft has been Temple defensive end turned linebacker Haason Reddick. Some NFL teams have mid-round grades on Reddick, yet sources from some teams picking in the middle of the opening round love him and have him in the mix for their first-round pick. Another similar prospect who has enjoyed a rise is Houston linebacker Tyus Bowser. Sources say they think that Bowser also will be an early-round pick, and some teams believe he won’t get out of the second round.
Bowser had 47 tackles with 12 tackles for a loss, 8.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one pass batted in 2016. He was a tough edge rusher for Houston who could fit nicely as a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL. The 6-foot-2, 244-pounder is a physical specimen, and sources say that Bowser has been very impressive in the pre-draft workouts.
One AFC playoff team thought he had an outside shot of going in round one, so there is a definite buzz about Bowser in the final weeks before the draft. Some teams are still skeptical of Bowser and say his tape didn’t show early-round skill, but even those teams say they could see a team liking Bowser enough to take him in the second round. The 2017 NFL Draft isn’t very deep at linebacker, so that helps Bowser, and teams are always looking for pass rushers. Bowser could end up going higher than many expect come draft day.
