Zack Bowman, 2008 NFL Draft Prospect
 | Cornerback 6' 0" 200 lbs. Speed: 4.43 Nebraska Senior  |
Is he injury prone or does he just have bad luck? You be the judge, but one thing I do know is that Bowman was injured once again and missed the entire spring. He underwent successful surgery in mid may (2007) to repair a ruptured patellar tendon that he injured in spring training.
That is very unfortunate for a prospect, which with a strong senior season, could have easily emerged as a first round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. To make matters worse, the once talented Bowman missed all of last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He also suffered last season’s injury in pre-season drills.
“We feel very badly for Zack,” Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan said Thursday in a prepared statement. “He has worked diligently to rehabilitate his previous injury, and this is a tough setback for him. Zack has a tremendous attitude, and I expect that he will work just as hard to get back on the field this fall.”
Bowman contemplated entering the 2007 NFL Draft, but coming off of a major injury the NFL’s draft advisory committee projected him as second-third pick, so he thought he could improve his draft stock by returning to Nebraska for his senior season.
The 6’ 1” 200 pound Bowman, originally from Alaska, burst onto the national scene in 2005 after he started the final five games and led the team with 14 pass deflections. Rangy, tough and fast, Bowman has legitimate NFL potential. Due to his history of injuries, he is sure to slip a little in the draft, but if he can stay healthy at the next level, could provide excellent value. Bowman is fast, has a smooth turn and run, excellent explosiveness and will come up and make the tough tackle in the open field. He has an NFL type body, well developed, big and strong, he might even project to free safety in the NFL.
If Bowman’s recovery remains on track, he could be in the starting lineup when Nebraska plays Missouri on October 6th. If he plays well in those final few games and runs good at the NFL Scouting Combine, he could easily regain his lofty draft status, but he has a tall hill to climb as those types of injuries are difficult to recover from. Sometimes a player is never able to regain top flight speed again.
What an amazing recovery. Bowman has recovered much faster than anticipated. He was on the football field on September 1st against Nevada and was the starting corner on 15 Sept. 2007 against USC. Overall he had a solid year considering his injury. He played in eleven games and even started his last seven. Bowman finished the season with 29 total tackles with 22 being solo, 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception and 6 pass break ups. However, he did look rusty and not 100% for most of the season.
Bowman also performed brilliantly at the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine where he ran an impressive 4.39 forty, lifted 225 pounds 18 times, and had a 30 1/2" vertical jump. With his injuries it's hard to predict when, and even if, he will get drafted, but you have to like the way he persevered by coming back strong this past season, and his run of 4.39 at the combine removed any doubt about his health. I think he could be a great value in the late 5th or 6th round, given some patience, a season to revert to his old form and with some luck on his health, he could end up as one of the steals of this draft, he just has to stay healthy. Remember prior to the 2007 season he was projected by many to be a first or second round 2008 NFL Draft Pick.
Bowman was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 5th round. NFL Draft Dog thinks he might be one of the steals of this draft in a few years. (If he stays healthy).