ESPN's Todd McShay on Lynn Bowden: "He's today's NFL guy"

Mark Stoops believes Lynn Bowden’s film will speak for itself come the late-April NFL Draft, and Kentucky’s head coach doubts the COVID-19 outbreak – which has resulted in major changes to the Draft process – will truly hinder the former Wildcat. Now, analysts on the national level are starting to agree.

https://kentuckysportsradio.com/football-2/with-no-pro-day-mark-stoops-believes-lynn-bowdens-film-will-speak-for-itself/

Todd McShay, one of ESPN’s NFL Draft experts, weighed in on Bowden’s talent and future in the league. On McShay’s podcast “First Draft,” McShay says he believes Bowden could be drafted as high as the second round, and adds that Bowden’s versatility makes him “today’s NFL guy.”

“I like Lynn. He does a little bit of everything. He’s today’s NFL guy. He can play a little quarterback, play in the slot, play in the backfield. I will be surprised if we get to day three and he’s still on the board. I think he’s going to be late second, early third,” McShay said on the podcast. “He’s one of those guys, the more you study of him, the more you appreciate what he can do in today’s league and how everyone is just an offensive weapon not pigeon-holed into being one thing. That’s what really makes him attractive.”

Kentucky offensive weapon Lynn Bowden Jr. will be a unique projection to the NFL at WR

6’1 199

Career #’s:

— 1,303 receiving yards // 6 TD’s
— 1,530 rushing yards // 13 TD’s
— 1,790 return yards // 2 TD’s
— 495 passing yards // 3 TD’s

Toting the rock comes so naturally to him pic.twitter.com/riuehTkZ4H

— Brad Kelly (@CoachBKelly) January 7, 2020

McShay isn’t the only national guy who is predicting Bowden will come off the board sometime around the third round. Pro Football Network’s Brad Kelly, who specializes in evaluating the draft’s wide receivers, believes the Green Bay Packers should draft Bowden. He explained his reasoning back in February, when he called Bowden “one of the more difficult evaluations of the draft class,” due largely in part to his mid-season switch to the quarterback position.

Still, Kelly believes “Bowden Jr. is a natural with the football in his hands, no matter the avenue in which he carries it,” and “funny enough, Bowden Jr. is the ideal choice to fill the role once occupied by [Randall] Cobb in the Packers passing attack.” For Kelly’s full evaluation, click here.

The NFL Draft is still slated to begin on Thursday, April 23. Lynn Bowden (and the rest of the BBN) will have to wait until then to learn where he’ll spend the early years of his career.