The Buffalo Bills were supposed to start day three of the draft, but naturally, they traded down one spot and acquired another seventh-round pick. With the second pick of day three, the Bills took a shot on Jude Bowry, an athletic tackle out of Boston College, giving the Bills some depth at the position.
Player Summary
Blitz Sports Media NFL analyst Ryan Linkletter (@blitzlink_) had this to say about Jude Bowry during the draft process.
“Bowry is a long-framed tackle with fluid footwork and strong pass-protection instincts. He mirrors edge rushers well and maintains a controlled kick-slide. In the run game, he sustains blocks and shows awareness on combo assignments. His hand timing can occasionally lag, leading to defenders gaining inside leverage. Bowry’s length helps him recover even when beaten initially. He projects as a developmental starting tackle with swing tackle versatility early in his career.”
Bowry’s College Stats
Bowry was a key starter on the Boston College offensive line, only allowing two sacks in his junior season, and followed that up with an outstanding zero sacks allowed in his senior season. The following statistics are available via Chad Reuter, NFL Dart Researcher/Analyst with NFL Media since 2011, as linked in Bowry’s draft profile below.
- 2022: Played in 7 games with 2 starts at RT.
- 2023: Redshirted. Played in 3 games as a reserve.
- 2024: Started 12 games at LT
- 2025: Started 9 games at LT. Team captain. Missed time with a leg injury.
NFL Combine
Bowry received a 6.14 prospect grade. A total score of 71 places him eighth among tackles in the class, but what was really impressive was his athleticism score, 84, ranking 4th in an elite tackle class. Buffalo may have found itself a gem in the fourth round if Bowry can adjust to the pros with his athleticism.
Current Tackle Room
Buffalo already has an impressive tackle room that consists of two franchise tackles, LT Dion Dawkins and RT Spencer Brown. Now the backup spot this season is up for grabs as offensive line depth in general has been an issue for the Bills; however, LT Dion Dawkins is 32, and while I and many other fans around Buffalo love him, he is a potential cap casualty next offseason. I envision they work out a restructure, but as it stands, his contract runs out after 2027, and two seasons behind two great tackles could be enough to elevate Bowry’s game when the time comes.
Expectations
Expectations for Jude Bowry and most day three picks must remain limited, and to be blunt, he’s not starting any games this year unless there’s an injury. With that being said, I expect him to possibly start 1-2 games at most and perform well in his limited time. Preseason is when I expect to really see how good a prospect he is at the NFL level. So long as he can keep our backup QB safe, he may be a starter down the road.
Recap
Buffalo addressed many needs during the draft, EDGE, CB, and followed that up with drafting a Tackle out of Boston College who immediately gives the Bills much-needed depth at the position. It may take one, maybe even two seasons, before Bowry is a full-time starter; nonetheless, the potential is there.
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