Former Raider Lynn Bowden thriving as receiver for Dolphins

The Raiders tried to mold rookie Lynn Bowden into a running back. Make him something he wasn’t. Pigeonhole him into the player they wanted him to be instead of embracing the player he was — and the player he’s becoming for the Miami Dolphins.

Turns out he’s a wide receiver after all.

Bowden is returning to Las Vegas this weekend for a Saturday game against the Raiders, the team that selected him in the third round of April’s draft and shipped him away to Miami for a future fourth-round pick before he’d played a snap in the NFL.

The 23-year-old is emerging as a viable pass catcher for the Dolphins, who, like many NFL teams in December, are working to mitigate injuries to key skill position players.

He has 17 receptions for 160 yards in his last three games, exceeding the receiving totals that fellow third-round pick Bryan Edwards has produced this season for the Raiders.

“I’m here. They brought me here for a reason,” Bowden said this month during a news conference. “Without really saying too much, I’m going to keep doing what I’ve got to do.”

Bowden was a quarterback at Warren Harding High School in Youngstown, Ohio, and a wide receiver during his freshman and sophomore seasons at Kentucky. He led the Wildcats in 2018 with 65 receptions for 745 yards and five touchdowns, but reverted back to quarterback after injuries to starter Terry Wilson and backup Sawyer Smith.

He posted 6-2 record as Kentucky’s starter and led the team with 1,468 rushing yards, 13 TDs, 30 receptions and 348 receiving yards.

The Raiders drafted him to play running back, though the coronavirus pandemic eliminated the organized team activities and minicamps that could have accelerated his transition to yet another position. He struggled in training camp, prompting the trade.

In response to reports that Bowden’s attitude and work ethic might have played a role in the trade, Raiders general manager Mike Mayock explained the transaction as solely a “football decision.”

“I think the position change is a difficult one in any year, but it’s exaggerated in a COVID year with no offseason,” Mayock said. “So you’re taking a kid that was a slot receiver in (2018), a quarterback in (2019) and asked him to play running back in (2020.)”

But the Dolphins didn’t ask him to play running back. They asked him to play receiver and were patient as he adjusted to the intricacies of their offense. He played sparingly during the first 11 games, logging 45 offensive snaps.

But injuries have limited Dolphins wideouts DeVante Parker, Jakeem Grant and Preston Williams — paving the way for Bowden to play, and play well.

He played 31 snaps Dec. 6 in a 19-7 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals and 59 snaps Dec. 13 in a 33-27 loss to the Chiefs, catching seven of nine targets for a team-high 82 yards. He played 65 snaps last week in a 22-12 win over the New England Patriots, catching six of a team-high seven targets.

His former coach, Jon Gruden, has taken notice.

“I’m happy for him,” Gruden said. “I’m glad he found a role. He’s got to play because they’ve had some injuries and obviously, they’re using him in the slot. They’re using him on gadget plays. When (Jakeem) Grant got hurt and DeVante Parker got hurt, they had to adjust much like we’ve had to adjust.”

Bowden said he’d hoped to play quarterback in the NFL, but he’s settled nicely into his role at wide receiver.

He was never a running back.

“His development has not been as quick as he’s wanted, but he had a lot to learn. He had a lot to learn in our offense,” said Dolphins offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. “He’s starting to find where he is in the offense and make contributions. When he makes contributions, then that gives us more confidence to continue to use him. It’s a two-way street there.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.