Draft Profile: Navarro Bowman

NAME – Navarro Bowman

Position – Outside linebacker/Inside linebacker.

College – Penn State.

Status – Junior, graduated in December with degree in crime, law and justice.

Size/Weight – 6-0 5/8, 236 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.62 seconds in 40-yard dash, 35.5-inch vertical jump, 9-foot 9-inch broad jump.

Age – 22 in late May.

Honors – Third-team All-America ‘09 … first-team All-Big 10 defense ‘08-’09.

College career – There were times in Bowman’s career in State College where he was one of the biggest impact players in major college football. There were other times when he was not, certainly not after his arrest for fighting and his admission of marijuana use. He averaged nearly seven tackles per game during his three-year career, along with eight sacks and six takeaways.

Stats of note – 33 games/21 starts … 215 total tackles, 36 tackles for loss, 8 sacks … 3 INTs, 9 passes broken up, 3 forced fumbles, 3 recovered fumbles … 1 blocked kick.

STRENGTHS – Athletic, with very good agility and balance, along with a burst … can play all over the field, and his range is sideline to sideline … stays active, and does not give up on plays … good, solid tackler … very competitive.

WEAKNESSES – He’s not a big body and that’s going to cause concerns with some teams when it comes to playing at OLB … getting rid of blockers is not something he does well … not especially strong and will have to pump up … character questions have to be considered.

THE RIGHT 53? – Maturity questions have surrounded Bowman during his entire Penn State career. He’s been disciplined for being involved in a fight and then smoking marijuana. It’s hard to piece those incidents together with the fact that he stayed after his school work and was able to graduate in December, in less than four years.

What he said (about his off-field problems) – “It’s about growing up and realizing what’s right and what’s wrong. The things that happened off the field make me look at things a little closer and make more right choices. A mistake is a mistake, and I own up to what I did. I haven’t run from it. ”

End game – Bowman’s speed and pedigree coming out of Penn State as a linebacker will have more than a handful of teams considering him for a middle to late first-round slot. He would probably fit best in a 4-3 on the outside, as his lack of ideal size might make it tough to play the outside in the 3-4 scheme, or inside in either defense.

ON THE CHIEFS LIST? – Unless the Chiefs know something nobody else does, it’s doubtful that Bowman will receive much consideration from them come the top half of the second round. There are other positions with greater needs and given his off-field problems and his lack of ideal size, he does not seem to fit the KC profile.