2011 NFL Draft: Where Will Clemson DE Da'Quan Bowers Go?

Every year, the players entering the NFL draft go through a grueling filtration process. After the college football season itself is over, they have several more opportunities to showcase their talents and make their cases for the general managers of the NFL, including the Senior Bowl, the combine and their respective Pro Days. For some, it’s a coming out party that makes them millions of dollars. But another unfortunate lot only see their draft stock slipping.

This year’s most notable victim appears to be Da’Quan Bowers, the defensive end out of Clemson. After a couple of less than stellar seasons, Bowers broke through with a 15.5 sack effort in his junior year. His production, coupled with his athleticism and ideal pass rushing build, marked him as one of the top prospects entering the draft. Less than two months ago, he was on the short list of players in public consideration to go first overall to the Carolina Panthers.

That was before the combine.

At the scouting event, the health of Bowers’ knee suddenly came into focus, as he had limited participation in the drills because of the injury. The concerns were not alleviated at his Pro Day, when he ran an unimpressive 40 time (reportedly around 4.94) and struggled in the drills. The health concerns, combined with the soaring stocks of fellow pass rushers like Von Miller (Texas A&M) and Robert Quinn (North Carolina), have almost certainly dropped Bowers down draft boards.

At the same time, it’s hard to ignore the kind of production Bowers displayed this year, not to mention his practically limitless upside. NFL GMs also tend to place a premium on pass rushers, and all but a handful of teams are in consideration to pick one. Every player faces injuries at some point or another, and Bowers may simply be a victim of bad timing.

With those factors in mind, which team is most likely to land the Clemson end? Let’s take a look at the possibilities, in order.

Carolina: Once considered a possible destination, the Panthers are now setting their sights elsewhere. Reports indicate that they’re interested in taking a quarterback, though it’s up in the air whether they prefer Cam Newton (Auburn) or Blaine Gabbert (Missouri). Defensive line is also a need, but more so on the interior. They can be ruled out as a possibility.

Denver: Another team that was once considered in the Bowers sweepstakes, the Broncos are switching to a 4-3 scheme. However, they seem to be set at end with Elvis Dumervil and Robert Ayers and are more likely to target Marcell Dareus (Alabama) to shore up the DT position.

Buffalo: This might be the first team to take a pass rusher. However, Von Miller is a better fit in the 3-4. They may also look for a QB instead.

Cincinnati: With rookie Carlos Dunlap coming on strong last year, the DE position dropped on their list of needs. They are more likely to target a QB or WR to rebuild their offense.

Arizona: See Buffalo. Many see this as the most likely landing spot for Miller, but even if he is gone and the Cardinals still want a pass rusher, they’ll likely opt for Robert Quinn instead.

Cleveland: The Browns are probably praying for WR A.J. Green (Georgia) to drop to them, as they need a quality target for their young franchise QB Colt McCoy. If they miss out on Green, they could look at DE, but they may also have a hard time passing on CB Patrick Peterson (LSU), considered by many the top prospect in this draft class.

San Francisco: The 49ers are more likely to target a CB like Peterson or Prince Amukamara (Nebraska), but they are a possible landing spot for Bowers if Miller and Quinn are gone.

Tennessee: If they lose DE Jason Babin to free agency, they could be looking for a replacement. However, they did take Derrick Morgan last year, and they have a greater need on the interior of the line. Nick Fairley (Auburn) is currently considered the favorite to go here.

Dallas: One of the few teams that don’t need a pass rusher, as they have DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer manning the OLB spots. They also have a host of other needs.

Washington: This is one of the toughest teams to mock because they have so many needs, and they may also be amenable to trading down. Because of the many other blue chip prospects that would fulfill a need for them, they are unlikely to take a risk on Bowers.

Houston: This is probably the strongest possibility so far, as their defense desperately needs to be upgraded. CB is a huge need, but they spent last year’s first round pick on Kareem Jackson, so a pass rusher is a more likely pick. The biggest concern here is that Bowers would have to switch to OLB in the Texans’ 3-4 defense.

Minnesota: Another good fit for Bowers. The Vikings need to upgrade the pass rush with Jared Allen showing some signs of decline and Ray Edwards possibly leaving in free agency.

Detroit: The Lions can be unpredictable, but after injuries to their franchise quarterback in each of his first two seasons, they will most likely look to upgrade at left tackle. Tyron Smith (USC) and Nate Solder (Colorado) make sense here, though the Lions would also have a hard time passing up on Prince Amukamara if he fell to them.

St. Louis: WR and DT are bigger needs here, though DE is not out of the question.

Miami: Pass rusher is fairly low down on their list of needs. They could use a complement for OLB Cameron Wake, but they could use an RB, QB or interior linemen a lot more.

Jacksonville: DE is a definite need, but everyone and their mothers have noted that Ryan Kerrigan (Purdue) fits what the Jaguars look for perfectly. However, they may be intrigued by the upside of Bowers.

New England: Nobody can ever really guess what Bill Belichick is going to do, but as a journalist, I have to try. OLB is a huge need for the Patriots, but they are wary of players with health concerns. They passed on Sergio Kindle last year because of knee concerns, and they would likely do the same if Bowers fell to them.

San Diego: DE, WR and OL are bigger needs. However, they could use another OLB because Larry English has been a bust and Shaun Phillips isn’t exactly a spring chicken anymore. They also just parted ways with their defensive coordinator Ron Rivera (now the head coach in Carolina), so they may be looking to add defensive talent to offset the loss. A mild possibility.

New York Giants: Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul…a defensive end is the last thing these guys need.

Tampa Bay: The Buccaneers are one of the teams most anxious to land a stud pass rushing end. However, Bowers is very unlikely to land this far, so it’s also probably a good time for me to stop naming teams.

As I see it, Bowers has likely fallen out of the top 10, as the teams there will look at either other positions or Von Miller or Robert Quinn to satisfy their pass rushing needs. However, he is also too talented to fall past the early to mid-teens.

That leaves Houston and Minnesota as the most likely suitors. To complicate matters, those teams will likely have to choose between Bowers and Aldon Smith (Missouri), another athletic pass rusher who is currently in better health. Nevertheless, I see Bowers donning either a Texans or Vikings uniform later this month.