I think a lot of people misunderstand what it is that Da’Quan Bowers does and is asked to do at Clemson. He isn’t just a pass rushing DE that is consistently going after the QB. Most of what Bowers is asked to do at Clemson is to set the edge, and take on blocks with the option to disengage and make a play or allow his teammates to make plays. I think a lot of people misconstrue this as an inability to get off blocks when in reality he is doing his job. Seeing him hold his ground at the line of scrimmage consistently engaged with blockers makes it seem as if he has trouble disengaging and allows people to question his pass rush ability and motor, which really isn’t the case. He uses great arm extension to shed blocks and I see no reason to see why he can’t do this at the pro level. I believe people get excited by his numbers then when they watch him are disappointed because he’s not at the QB all the time and isn’t living in the backfield, but rather doing his job and playing within the system. This is why I believe he would be a great fit for the Pats because he already plays with great two-gap technique and is able to do what BB asks of OLB. I think people become enamored with athletic pass rushers like Clay Matthews that put up big numbers, when in reality the Pats system requires so much more from their OLB. As good as Clay Matthews has been so far in his career he just wouldn’t fit the Pats system and would really only be a situational pass rusher.
In terms of Bowers pass rushing abilities I believe he definitely has the speed and power moves to succeed at the NFL level. When he is asked to get after the QB there hasn’t been an OL that has been able to contain him yet. If he was one of the college DE that is just asked to rush the passer I have no doubt he would easily put up 20+ sacks. He does need some technique work but that’s what coaches are for. In regard to the argument that he gets his sacks by taking advantage of overmatched RTs, I just don’t buy that. He doesn’t just play LE, he moves around the entire Clemson DL and has consistently beaten all of the OL he has faced. He may never end up a 15 sack a year guy in the NFL, but why does he have to. The NFL isn’t about statistics it’s about performance. While Bowers might not put up huge sack totals in the NFL he will consistently put pressure on the QB, which we all saw in the Colts game is just as important.
One thing we know about BB is he likes to take 3-down players in the first round, and that is the reason he hasn’t taken any OLB in recent years. While there have been a bunch of guys that can rush the passer, there haven’t been any complete OLB to fit the system. I think Bowers is finally that guy. Their hasn’t been any player in recent years that has had the same ability to set the edge, play with sound two gap technique and get after the QB that Bowers has. His versatility to play a number of positions makes him a 3-down player and he is already doing what the Pats ask of their OLB.
The only real question mark about Bowers is his athleticism and possibly flexibility. None of us now for sure whether he has the athleticism just by watching his game tape. But I’m sure the Pats will do their due diligence to find out. If he excels in the private workouts I would absolutely do whatever it take to get him. If he shows during the private workouts that he doesn’t have the athleticism to play the position than I will concede that I was wrong about him. My personal opinion of him is that he does posses the athleticism to play OLB in the 3-4, and with specialized doctors and trainers in the NFL, he will be able to utilize his entire athletic potential playing at his optimum weight.