Atlanta Falcons Draft Oklahoma DB Billy Bowman Jr.

After four seasons as a defensive centerpiece for OU, safety Billy Bowman Jr. will look to be similarly productive on Sundays.

The Atlanta Falcons selected Bowman, a four-year starter at Oklahoma, with the No. 118 (fourth round) pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Bowman is the second Sooner to be selected in the draft.

In 2021, his freshman year out of Denton, TX, Bowman quickly was thrust into action. He played 11 games and started seven, finishing the season with 22 tackles, two pass breakups, 1.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Bowman’s numbers improved significantly in 2022, as he notched 60 tackles, three interceptions, two tackles for loss and five pass breakups to earn honorable mention All-Big 12 honors.

Bowman established himself as one of college football’s best defensive backs in 2023, finishing tied for fourth in NCAA Division I FBS with six interceptions. He returned three of those interceptions for touchdowns, set a school record for interception return yards and also made 63 tackles to earn a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team.

And in his first season playing in the SEC, Bowman started all 12 regular-season games for OU, logging 54 tackles and two interceptions to earn third-team All-SEC honors.

Bowman wowed scouts at the NFL Combine, held in Indianapolis from Feb. 27 to March 2. 

He ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash and logged 17 reps on the bench press. Bowman’s total combine Relative Athletic Score, 69, is the ninth-best among draft-eligible safeties.

At 5-foot-10 and 192 pounds, Bowman is considered small for the safety position. But NFL.com insider Lance Zierlein believes the he will be productive in the NFL.

“He’s fluid and athletic to man up over the slot,” Zierlein said. “He’s meddlesome to float around looking for playmaking opportunities in zone coverage. He’ll struggle matching on big bodies and will get beat on jump balls downfield. He loves to rocket downhill to support the run but he lacks stopping power and will miss his share of tackles. His size and tackling inconsistency might be a concern for some teams, but he’s too instinctive and versatile to overlook as a safety/corner hybrid with starting talent.”

The first round of the draft was conducted Thursday, while rounds two and three were Friday. Rounds 4-7 unfold throughout Saturday.