Is Da’Quan Bowers Essentially Finished?

Leading up to the 2011 NFL Draft, Da’Quan Bowers and his injury issues were huge topics of discussion. The defensive end out of Clemson was once considered a potential No. 1 overall pick, but concerns about a major knee injury sent his stock plummeting. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers eventually selected Bowers at No. 51, but questions still linger about what they will get from their new defensive lineman.

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune has added his voice to the mix and had the following to say:

“The question is whether (Bowers) ever plays at a high level. There is concern by most teams that he might be essentially finished. On some level, you have to applaud Tampa Bay for taking him. But there is a large number of people who have seen the medical report from when he was re-checked in April that believe he is done.”

Yikes, that’s not good. If Acee’s assessment of the situation in correct, then Bowers is facing incredibly odds in his quest to become an impact player in the NFL.

Acee had some insight into the Bowers situation because he covers the San Diego Chargers, a team that was looking for pass rushing help in this year’s draft. Clearly the Chargers were not fans of what they saw in Bowers’ medical reports, and apparently they weren’t the only ones.

We’re rooting for Bowers, but frankly from everything we’ve been hearing (even before this report) it doesn’t look good for the young man. Before the draft our sources were throwing around the words “bone-on-bone” and “microfracture surgery” in association with Bowers’ right knee.