Las Vegas Raiders: Grading the 2020 Draft class after Year 2
By Nico Di Fede
Round 3, Pick 80: Lynn Bowden Jr, WR/RB
Lynn Bowden was a do-it-all guy at the collegiate level for the Kentucky Wildcats, even starting at quarterback for more than half of his junior season while being a wide receiver previously.
That season (2019) Bowden was outstanding, compiling 1468 yards on the ground to go along with 13 rushing touchdowns, 30 receptions for 348 yards, and a touchdown receiving, on top of 403 yards passing with 3 touchdowns through the air.
The offense with him at the helm as the quarterback was of course run-heavy, and he only completed 47% of his passes, so his future was definitely not as a signal-caller.
Some teams projected him as a slot receiver, while others thought he was most dangerous with the ball in his hands and found him more suitable as a running-back.
Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden believed the latter and brought him in to eventually backup Josh Jacobs. This I disagreed with at the time, as Bowden was a guy I believed would do better at receiver and could be used the way the 49ers currently use Deebo Samuel who often receives hand-offs out of the backfield despite being their number 1 wide receiver.
The team he would eventually land upon after being cut by the Raiders back in 2020, the Miami Dolphins would agree, as he played receiver for them his rookie year. He appeared in 10 games and started 4 hauling in 28 receptions for 211 yards. This past season he was hurt during a joint practice and missed the entirety of 2021.
Bowden still has potential, and if the Raiders would have drafted him to play receiver the grade would be better. But, since they brought him in to play running-back and was cut before the season even started, it was obviously not the right pick for Las Vegas.
- 2020 Performance Grade: C
- 2021: Performance Grade: N/A
- Pick Grade: D