Billy Bowman Jr was one of the country’s best safeties in 2023 and has continued his solid production into his final collegiate season. Here is a 2025 NFL Draft Early Scouting Report and film analysis on him.
Overview, Film Analysis, and Early 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report of Oklahoma DB Billy Bowman Jr
Measurables:
- 5’10”
- 194 lbs
Player Background:
A Top-50 prospect nationally in the 2021 class, Billy Bowman Jr committed to Oklahoma from Ryan High School in Texas. He immediately got onto the field in his first season with the Sooners, starting seven games and playing in 11. He made 22 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and a forced fumble. His sophomore season was equally strong, starting nine games despite missing two due to injury. He tallied 60 tackles, two TFLs, three INTs, five PBUs, and another FF in 2022.
Bowman Jr took another major step forward in 2023, doubling his previous season’s INT total and setting career-highs with 63 tackles and 3 TFLs. He also scored three times, the first of his collegiate career. There have been more ups and downs in 2024 than in previous years, but he’s still a high-level safety. He’s racked up 43 tackles, two INTs, two PBUs, and took a fumble back to the house for a TD.
Accolades:
- All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (2022)
- 247Sports First Team All-American (2023)
- First Team All-Big 12 (2023)
- Preseason All-SEC First Team (2024)
Strengths/Pros:
Bowman Jr is extremely skilled as an omnidirectional mover in the Oklahoma secondary with a solid trigger. His hips are quite fluid and can fly around the field with relative ease, making his presence rather large. He has experience with heavy versatility, playing over 100 snaps in three different alignments in 2024. Effort is another strong part of his game, elevating all other aspects and allowing him to impact plays from sideline to sideline. He stays low in his initial backpedal, and his downhill cuts are sharp enough.
He positions himself well to defend outside runs and consistently prevents RBs from hitting the edge. Bowman Jr is an excellent anticipator in off-man coverage and cuts off out-breaking routes often before the WR finishes hit cut. He maintains his depth decently at all levels in zone coverage and can make split-second decisions on QB rollouts. As seen with his high production, his ball-tracking skills are impressive, and he works well at the catch point.
Weaknesses/Cons:
While not a major issue, his size does negatively impact his game. Bowman Jr has seen his share of being beaten with physicality while at Oklahoma. As a deep safety, his game is full of inconsistencies that could plague his performance at the next level. Most of them are direct results of on-and-off struggles in every aspect of his skill set. He tends to overshoot on tackles and, while occasionally showing prowess in said area, has subpar tackling form that leads to many misses.
His coverage discipline could be more consistent from play to play. Bowman Jr. will get caught overselling on decoy routes and biting at the top of routes, often choosing the wrong direction. He’s very unpredictable in his willingness to make contact, sometimes laying big hits and others seemingly making business decisions. He also needs to wrap up ball carriers better instead of solely relying on his power to bring them down.
Potential Team Fits:
NFL Projection:
At this point, Billy Bowman Jr is a much better college player than an NFL prospect. With that being said, his range and ball production make him an intriguing player who should get picked in the middle of the draft. He understands the game well and can be effective in smaller doses early in his career, and he should get opportunities to become a starter down the road.
Prospect Grade:
- Mid 4th Round
Film Exposures:
- 2024 vs. Tennessee
- 2024 vs. Texas
- 2023 vs. Oklahoma State
Main Image: Sarah Phipps – USA Today Sports
