Drayk Bowen

ILB·Notre Dame#134 overall
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Draft Movement

#128 · Jun 8#134 · now

Down 6 spots since Jun 8

Scouting Report

Drayk Bowen is a decorated multi-sport athlete from Andrean High School in Merrillville, Indiana, who arrived at Notre Dame as a consensus four-star recruit and the 2022 Indiana Mr. Football. He was also one of the top-ten baseball prospects in the country out of high school and has continued playing both sports for the Fighting Irish, a dual-sport background that PFF analyst Trevor Sikkema notes translates directly to his rotational power and hand-eye coordination on the football field. Standing 6'2" and listed between 235 and 239 pounds, Bowen has the frame scouts describe as NFL-ready for the linebacker position. He broke into Notre Dame's starting lineup as a sophomore and finished third on the team with 78 tackles that year, adding a crucial forced fumble in the national championship game against Ohio State. Through his first two collegiate seasons heading into 2026, he had accumulated 159 career tackles, 13.5 combined tackles for loss and sacks, and 4 turnovers generated, with career PFF grades of 78 in run defense and 65.5 in coverage. Buccaneers Wire and Vikings Wire writer Andrew Harbaugh notes that Bowen is rangy and efficient at covering ground in both run and pass defense, with a relentless pursuit motor that shows up consistently on film. The NFLDraftBuzz profile credits Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden for praising Bowen as a "warrior" with notable football intellect and physicality. PFF's Sikkema describes him as a throwback true MIKE linebacker whose best work is done between the tackles, arriving at pulling and climbing linemen with force and posting just a 6% missed tackle rate in 2024. His biggest limitations heading into his junior season are coverage range and pursuit speed, both of which appear slightly below NFL average on current tape, though evaluators note he was still an underclassman when those grades were assessed. ESPN's Jordan Reid projects Bowen as a Day 3 prospect for the 2026 class, a label that carried forward into his 20

Strengths

  • Physical, tone-setting tackler with a 6% missed tackle rate in 2024 and just 10.7% career missed tackle rate
  • quick processor with a fast trigger downhill against the run, consistently taking correct angles before offensive linemen can climb to the second level
  • relentless motor and sideline-to-sideline pursuit range that shows up on every snap
  • legitimate NFL frame at 6'2"/235 lbs built for MIKE linebacker demands between the tackles
  • multi-sport athlete (football and baseball at scholarship level) contributing to elite rotational hip power and hand-eye coordination at contact
  • effective stack-and-shed ability against tight ends and fullbacks while maintaining vision on the ball
  • vocal pre-snap communicator and natural leader who commanded a veteran defense as a sophomore
  • 79.1 PFF run defense grade in 2024 and 78 career run defense grade entering 2026

Weaknesses

  • Coverage skills remain a work in progress with a career PFF coverage grade of 65.5
  • pursuit speed and range in coverage appear slightly below NFL average per PFF's Trevor Sikkema
  • can be overly aggressive attacking downhill, creating vulnerability against play-action and misdirection
  • does not always show elite lateral quickness to recover when initially caught out of position
  • pass rush arsenal is limited, relying on speed and power over refined hand technique
  • missed tackle rate ticked up to 10.7% on a career basis, higher than preferred for a MIKE projection
  • still developing as a full-time starter with limited sample size against elite competition

College Stats

2023 (freshman): 14 tackles, primarily special teams contributor in 12 games; 2024 (sophomore): 78 tackles (3rd on team), 1 sack, 3 forced fumbles including one in national championship game, 2 pass breakups, 79.1 PFF run defense grade, 6% missed tackle rate; Career through 2025: 159 tackles, 13.5 combined TFL/sacks, 4 turnovers generated, 18 hurries, 60 stops, 78 career PFF run defense grade, 65.5 career PFF coverage grade

Measurables

Height
6'2"
Weight
235
40-Yd
4.71

Awards & Honors

4-star recruit (247 Sports); Indiana Mr. Football 2022; Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year (2x); High School Butkus Award winner (best high school linebacker); Top-10 national baseball prospect out of high school (8th per one source); Ranked 45th overall by Rivals out of high school; NFLDraftBuzz player rating 82.0; ranked #111 (May 2025) and #131 (August 2025) on Sam Teets Substack big boards; 6th among 2027 ILB prospects per WalterFootball; scouts average overall rank of 167.0 per NFLDraftBuzz