Of all the players in the 2020 NFL Draft, there is no doubt that Kentucky’s Lynn Bowden Jr. was the more versatile. Bowden started games at quarterback and wide receiver in college, winning the Paul Hornung Award for the nation’s most versatile player.
When Bowden made the switch from receiver to quarterback, he brought life into the Wildcats’ offense. The team won six of their last eight games, including beating Virginia Tech in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
Despite his college success, Bowden doesn’t have a “traditional” position in the NFL. He is currently making the transition to running back, but the Raiders have more plans for him than just that.
In his recent media session, offensive coordinator Greg Olson talked about how they plan on using Bowden in 2020:
“Right now, we have him working out of the running backsroom. He’s meeting with Kirby Wilson, our running back coach, so we’ve got him at the running back butalso he’s had to learn a lot of things we do at the quarterback position. You’ve seen the game changing from year-to-year, the use of RPOs, the use of the Taysom Hill’s and those type of players that play that RPO style offense in college they become valuable for us. And we believed that he can transition and be a running back as well as do some of those plays at the quarterback position that he did in college.”
The plan is to move Bowden all across the field to create mismatches. It’s likely that in a single game, you could see him get touches from the slot, the backfield and even under center.
Interestingly, Olson brought up the name “Taysom Hill” when talking about Bowden. While Hill is listed as a “quarterback” on the Saints’ roster, 76 percent of his snaps came at wide receiver or tight end. While he occasionally will take snaps under center, it’s more of a wildcat situation (only 13 career pass attempts) where he is a runner rather than a passer.
Bowden could very well see some snaps under center this season, but don’t expect him to be competing for Derek Carr’s job anytime soon. The only time Bowden will see snaps as a “quarterback” will likely be in short-yardage situations as a runner. There may be a player or two where he has the option to throw it (if needed), but don’t expect Bowden to be attempting many passes this season.
However, it’s fair to expect Bowden to be used all over the field and play many different positions throughout the season. The Raiders are excited about what he can add to the offense and if his college production means anything, he should be able to create some explosive plays for an offense that desperately needs them.
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