With the 80th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, The Las Vegas Raiders selected the X-factor, Lynn Bowden Jr., out of the University of Kentucky. When I say X-factor, I mean there’s nothing the former Wildcat and current Miami Dolphins can’t do.
You read that right, he was selected by the Raiders. If you haven’t read on what happened to the dismissal of Bowden from Vegas I urge you to read Tyler Dunne’s article on him.
Color me crazy but Lynn Bowden Jr is the X factor of this Dolphins offense. He’s done things this season that make you jump out of your seat.
He may not be a #1 WR, but he’s really unique. With Bowden having the ball in his hands there are 3 things likely to happen- at times you may not know what he might do.
He can run with the ball
He can catch the ball
He can throw the ball
A play from the Cincinnati game rings a bell and Jackson Kruger mentions what I said up above.
He could’ve taken a simple handoff and ran it for a couple yards or taken the ball in his hands and threw it to Gaskins on a swing route on the right side of the field if Myles Gaskin wasn’t blocking on the play. Instead its a pass play and Bowden catches it from the flat and gains good amount of yards.
Wide Receivers coach Josh Grizzard, who studied Bowden during the pre-draft process said it best:
“I see a lot of the things [now] you saw on tape [in college]: Position flexibility, being able to throw it, run it, throw it to him on the perimeter, handoffs, Wildcat. I think that stuff shows up. Just getting the nuances of the coverages and seeing those things, that’s the biggest adjustment he’s gone through playing the slot receiver position in the NFL.”
It took Bowden some time to get acclimated to the Playbook as he came into the Dolphins the beginning of the regular season. Through the first 13 weeks of the season he was targeted twice with rushing attempts sprinkled in. The Cincinnati game is when we saw the potential of Bowden Jr- hauling all 4 targets for 41 yards and 10.3 YPC.
Ultimately he became one of Tua’s favorite targets against the Chiefs and Patriots raking in 13 catches on 16 targets for almost 120 yards. There’s been a lot of talk about Bowden Jr. becoming a Jarvis Landry type of player and I see it too. Remember Landry’s rookie year, he was used a lot in the slot and routinely made plays that made your jaw drop- the same applies to Lynn Bowden Jr in limited targets.
Even with a stacked WR core in Miami, Bowden will get more opportunities in year 2 lining up in the slot, the backfield, a wildcat QB and maybe as the X Receiver in some packages. Bowden has the tools and skills to succeed. It’s going to be up to George Godsey and Eric Studesville to scheme up opportunities where he can feast and gain yards after the catch and finally score his first career NFL Touchdown
Lynn Bowden Jr. will have a “breakout year”. Book it.
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