When the Las Vegas Raiders selected Lynn Bowden with the No. 80 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, there were some questions about where he would play in the NFL. In 2017 and 2018, he was a receiver for Kentucky, leading the team in receiving yards as a sophomore. But in 2019, he started the final eight games of the season as a quarterback.
But after Day 2 of the NFL Draft, Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden made it clear that Bowden would primarily be playing running back. That makes a ton of sense given Bowden’s size, athleticism and production.
In 2019, Bowden led the country in rushing yards per attempt as he rushed for 1,468 yards on just 185 carries. He averaged over 8.4 yards per offensive touch from scrimmage and he was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded runner in 2019.
Lynn Bowden Jr: The only player in the country to average 8.0+ yards per carry. pic.twitter.com/yP96MyvxaF
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) April 25, 2020
Not only does Bowden have experience as a runner and a receiver, but he was also a dynamic return specialist in college. He averaged an incredible 22.1 yards per punt return at Kentucky, which nearly matched what he did on kickoff returns (22.3). There is really nothing on the football field that Bowden hasn’t already done at a high level.
It’s clear that the Raiders are going to use Bowden in a bunch of different ways this season as he is simply one of the best players in the country with the ball in his hands. He may ultimately be labeled as a running back, but he is going to do so much more than just carrying the ball. Bowden is one of the most fun prospects to come out of the 2020 draft. and it is going to be fascinating to see how Gruden uses his new toy.
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