Drayk Bowen LB Notre Dame | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Drayk Bowen LB Notre Dame
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| PLAY STYLE: BOX LB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 05/21/2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.62 seconds (75%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 21.0 DOB: 04/29/2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| PLAY STYLE: BOX LB | |
| Last Updated: 05/21/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| 40 time: 4.62 seconds (75%*) | |
| Age: 21.0 DOB: 04/29/2004 | |
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| Overall Rating: | 85.5 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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77% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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92% |
| Pass Rush: |
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69% |
| Run Defense: |
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78% |
| Coverage: |
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76% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
2nd - Late
Overall Rank:
#67
Position rank:
#6
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| College Games: 20 College Snaps: 637 | ||
ESPN RATING: 85/100
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247 RATING: 92/100
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RIVALS RATING: 6.0 (98%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Junior Colson - Michigan |
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94% |
| Chad Muma - Wyoming |
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92% |
| Jeffrey Bassa - Oregon |
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91% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Drayk Bowen entered Notre Dame as a decorated in-state product from Andrean High School in Merrillville, Indiana. A consensus four-star recruit and 2022 Indiana Mr. Football, Bowen finished his high school career with 379 tackles, 54 TFLs, 16 sacks, and 10 forced fumbles. His two-way ability was evident as he also rushed for 1,784 yards and 26 touchdowns during his senior campaign. As a top-100 national recruit (ranked 45th overall by Rivals), Bowen arrived in South Bend with considerable expectations.Bowen saw action in 12 games during his freshman season, primarily on special teams where he collected 14 total tackles. His sophomore campaign marked a significant step forward as he earned a starting role and finished third on the team with 78 tackles. The 6'2", 239-pound linebacker added a sack and three forced fumbles, including a crucial one in Notre Dame's national championship game against Ohio State. His development curve accelerated throughout the season as he became increasingly comfortable diagnosing plays and making pre-snap adjustments.
As a dual-sport athlete who also plays baseball for the Fighting Irish, Bowen brings a unique athletic profile to the linebacker position. His tackling has been particularly impressive, consistently wrapping up ball carriers with textbook form while displaying sideline-to-sideline range with his excellent speed. Defensive coordinator Al Golden described Bowen as a "warrior" with notable praise for his football intellect, physicality, and instincts.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Delivers bone-rattling hits with exceptional closing speed and generates tremendous power through his hips, frequently separating ball carriers from both the ball and their senses.
- Shows exceptional processing speed against the run, consistently taking proper angles and triggering downhill before offensive linemen can climb to the second level.
- Relentless motor that never idles; plays through the echo of the whistle and covers serious ground sideline-to-sideline with speed that pops on film.
- Remarkably clean tackler who rarely gets juked in space and brings ball carriers down with authority rather than allowing extra yardage after contact.
- Demonstrates impressive stack-and-shed ability against tight ends and fullbacks, maintaining vision on the ball while violently disengaging to make plays.
- High football character and natural leader who commanded a veteran-laden defense as a sophomore, making vocal pre-snap adjustments despite his youth.
- Multi-sport athlete with baseball background translates to excellent rotational power in his hips and elite hand-eye coordination when attacking ball carriers.
- Shows legitimate scheme versatility with experience as both an off-ball linebacker and occasional edge rusher who can blitz effectively from multiple angles.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Coverage skills remain a work in progress; occasionally looks mechanical rather than fluid when asked to backpedal and match routes against athletic tight ends.
- Can be overly aggressive attacking downhill, sometimes biting hard on play-action and creating vulnerability behind him in the second level of the defense.
- Despite solid testing numbers, doesn't always show elite lateral quickness to recover when initially caught out of position against misdirection plays.
- Lacks ideal length for an edge-setting linebacker, sometimes struggling to disengage when squared up by longer offensive tackles on outside run plays.
- Still developing as a blitzer with a somewhat limited pass rush arsenal; relies more on speed and power than refined hand techniques to defeat blockers.
Scouting Report: Summary
When flowing downhill, Bowen's instincts and closing burst make him a destructive force, though his occasional overpursuit leaves him vulnerable against misdirection. His leadership qualities and pre-snap communication skills will translate immediately, even as he refines his ability to match with tight ends in space.Defensive schemes emphasizing aggressive linebacker play will benefit most from Bowen's skill set, particularly those using him as a blitzer or run-stuffer while gradually expanding his coverage responsibilities. The physicality and competitive fire are NFL-ready, while his change-of-direction fluidity requires technical refinement. Though not the longest linebacker in the class, his hitting power and diagnostic ability compensate for any physical limitations when taking on blockers.
Special teams value provides immediate roster utility as Bowen develops the coverage aspects of his game. His combination of baseball-derived rotational power and football intelligence creates a foundation worth building upon, though patience may be required before he becomes a complete linebacker. The team drafting him will acquire a cultural tone-setter whose floor is solid run defender with upside to develop into a versatile defensive weapon as his pass coverage skills mature.
How other scouting services rate Drayk Bowen (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
93.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
10.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.