Billy Bowman Jr. Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)

School: Oklahoma

Class: Senior

Position: SAF

HT: 5’10

WT: 200 lbs

Background: Billy Bowman was a consensus 4-star defensive back from Denton, Texas. Bowman played for football powerhouse, Ryan High School. He was one of the best athletes in the country and a top 5 player in the state of Texas. He played all over the field for Ryan, both as a wide receiver and as a defensive back. Bowman was an all-state selection both at wide receiver and cornerback during his time at Ryan. In 2020 he was named a MaxPreps All-American and followed that up by being selected to the Under Armour All-American Game. Billy Bowman chose to play for Oklahoma over Texas, SMU, and others.

College: As a true freshman in 2021, Bowman appeared in 11 games and started 7 of them. He was a consistent presence at the top of the Sooners’ defense and displayed incredible IQ and maturity for a true freshman. His second season saw him earn All-Big 12 honorable mention. He appeared in 11 games while starting 9 that season. He showed vast improvements in his ability to make plays on the ball. In 2023, Bowman was named a First Team All-Big 12 and First Team All-American player. He led the nation with 6 interceptions, 3 of which he returned for touchdowns. 2024 saw Bowman maintain his productivity. He was Third Team All-SEC on a weaker Oklahoma team.

Strengths: Billy Bowman is a safety with elite ball skills. He follows the quarterback’s eyes as progressions are made and can launch toward the ball to get his hands on it. Bowman has a high football IQ to diagnose different offenses and take away large portions of the field. Billy is a splash play waiting to happen in the secondary. Bowman can play that one high safety to take away the deep area of the field, he can play as the strong safety, he lines up close to the box at times acting as an extra linebacker, and he can also play at the line of scrimmage to blitz off the edge. Bowman has also been slotted in at nickel in man coverage reps. He is technically sound and can twist his hips fluidly to explode out of his backpedal to keep stride with both tight ends and slot receivers.

Weaknesses: If Bowman is to play any significant reps at strong safety or as a third linebacker in the NFL, he will need to improve as a run defender. He gets over-aggressive when close to the line, often choosing to clog the incorrect lane. He is a subpar tackler in space, attempting weak arm tackles or just missing the tackle in general. He is a bit too small to consistently play in the box in the NFL, but if he improves as a tackler, he can be effective there in certain situations.

Conclusion: Billy Bowman will be a high safety and a nickel at the next level. He is so effective in both man and zone coverage, the nickel position would really maximize his skill set. His weaknesses as a tackler do not overshadow his ability to make a big play to create a turnover almost every game.

Scheme Fit: One High Safety

Ideal Role: Nickel

Best Team Fits: LAC, CIN, NYG

Player Comparison: Cooper DeJean

Player Grade: Round 1 (90.9)