DaQuan Bowers DE Clemson
TALENT BOARD
Round 1
STRENGTHS
DaQuan is a remarkable athletic defensive end with the size, speed and burst to dominate at both the college level and the NFL level. He shows me on film that he has good strength when engaging an offensive lineman on running plays and is the type of player that has to be accounted for on every play or he will make you pay. DaQuan can get into the backfield of his opponent with speed and quickness and has the speed to run down players from behind down the field. DaQuan is young and has a lot to learn, but when you look in the dictionary and find the word "upside", DaQuan's picture is right there next to it!
CONCERNS
DaQuan has upside and talent, but he will need a very good coach to motivate him and teach him all he needs to know about playing defensive end in the NFL. He has raw talent and I'm not convinced he has the work ethic to reach his potential without strong guidance and encouragement. I can't even list all the tricks he is going to have to learn to become productive. The list is longer than this profile, but upside is why you would draft this kid.
BOTTOM LINE
DaQuan is a boom or bust player who will knock your eyes out with his workouts and stats. When he goes up against quality offensive linemen at the college level, this kid disappears. His games against North Carolina and South Carolina prove this. As long as DaQuan realizes this, then there is no problem. I'm not convinced he does at this point. He has talent like Mario Williams (DE Houston Texans) and he could be as good, but buyer beware because maturity issues (or the lack of) might just eat away at the first few years of this kid's contract. The kid has talent and can be used right away in a rotation situation. He will get a few sacks, which should make everyone happy until they expect him to become a starter. That's when the trouble may begin and is also when DaQuan is going to have to become a true 4-3 defensive end who was a 1st round draft choice and has to be accounted for on every play. Boom or bust baby! I would look at him in the first round, but not in the top ten. That's just me looking for players with just a little faster impact and maturity than most do.
