Scouts and analysts claimed former Oklahoma star safety Billy Bowman Jr. was too small to succeed in the NFL, but just a few months after slipping in the 2025 NFL Draft because of his size, Bowman is already a Week 1 starter for the Atlanta Falcons as a rookie.
After Bowman got first-team reps throughout training camp, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris announced during a press conference on Thursday that Bowman will start at nickel back in the Falcons' season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 7.
Former OU standout Billy Bowman Jr. named rookie starter for Falcons
"Billy Bowman finished with a strong lead there, obviously," Morris said. "He'll be the guy to go out there first."
Coach Morris confirms Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr. will be Week 1 starters pic.twitter.com/JiINInspJX
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) August 28, 2025
The only real knock on Bowman throughout the draft process was his size, listed at 5-foot-10 and 194 pounds. His film and every other number would have put Bowman as a first-day pick. Regardless, the Falcons didn't select Bowman until the fourth round on Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft. He's already looking like a steal just four months later.
Bowman was a four-year starter at OU. He played in 47 career games with 41 starts. That gave Bowman a lot of experience to prepare for the next level, plus he proved to be a ball hawk in the secondary with 11 career interceptions.
After seeing the field immediately as an OU freshman in 2021, Bowman is doing the same thing again in his next jump, which should foreshadow what's ahead in his NFL career despite what his pre-draft scouting report said.
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