I see a lot of people are confused by this pick because there were other bigger named centers on the board when we made the pick and not many people know about this guy. I'm seeing guys saying they think this pick was wasted, or an overdraft, or they think the guy won't make it, simply because they really don't know much about him. I also see people are confise why we didn't go after one of the more perceived talented centers earlier. Well, first of all, I believe Bowanko was our target all along and is the only center we ever considered drafting and they always planned on taking him late knowing other teams didn't know about him. Bowanko was the only center that the Jags had come in for a visit. They never even brought in one of the bigger names like Richburg or Swanson.

 

I believe that in Bowanko our team sees a great fit for our scheme and an under the radar steal at center similar to what Austin Pasztor was for us at RT last year. Bowanko was the leader of the Virginia offensive line for a good amount of time and Austin Pasztor took orders from him in 2011. He was one of the few players who was able to contain Aaron Donald one-on-one (Brandon Linder being another, by the way) and like Pasztor is being overlooked because he's one of those oversized lineman who isn't  seen as athletic enough to play tackle in the NFL. However, Bowanko is very skilled, adept at playing in a ZBS, and when he's gone against NFL competition he's held his own more than well enough. He also fits the type of offensive line we seem to be building which, if Linder and Bowanko end up starting, will be one of if not the biggest in the league.

 

Make no mistake, I fully believe Bowanko will end up being a steal in this draft for us. Most of the centers in the league aren't that good and teams overlook guys like Bowanko who are just scheme fits and can play the position for more ideally athletic guys. Don't be surprised if Bowanko beats out Brewster for the starting spot and he ends up as a very good center for us for a long time.

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