Byron

Cowart

28-year-old Cowart couldn’t get on the field in 2023 before becoming a rotational option for last year’s Bears. He will aim for the same role in the Big Apple, while also likely contributing on special teams.

Cowart spent all of the 2022 season with the Colts. He logged 12 tackles and two TFLs as a rotational run-stuffer. Cowart also pitched in on special teams. He signed with the Chiefs in March but was released shortly after the draft.

Cowart appeared in 17 games for the Colts last season, totaling 12 tackles and two TFLs. He appeared on 229 defense snaps and was also a key contributor on special teams. He’ll likely serve as added depth along the Chiefs’ defensive line next season.

Cowart was a fifth-round pick by the Patriots in the 2019 NFL Draft. The former Maryland product was placed on the reserve/PUP list to start last season, and never suited up for a game in 2021. Cowart appeared on 419 snaps for the Patriots in 2020 according to PFF, totaling 27 tackles, three TFLs and one sack.

The Pats surrendered picks No. 162 and 239. Cowart (6’3/298) originally signed with Auburn as the nation’s No. 1 recruit in 2015, only to struggle for early snaps, transfer to JUCO for a year, and spend 2018 at Maryland, where Cowart finished his final college season with five tackles, three sacks, and two INTs across 12 starts. A longtime underachiever with underwhelming athletic traits (seventh-percentile SPARQ), Cowart is a long shot to become a productive pro on the interior line.

Cowart (6’3/298) originally signed with Auburn as the nation’s No. 1 recruit in 2015, only to struggle for early snaps, transfer to JUCO for a year, and spend 2018 at Maryland, where Cowart finished his final college season with five tackles, three sacks, and two INTs across 12 starts. A longtime underachiever with underwhelming athletic traits (seventh-percentile SPARQ), Cowart is a long shot to become a productive pro on the interior line.

The scout mentions that Cowart’s (6'3/298) former school Auburn “a lot of nice things to say about him,” but that isn’t unusual for players who leave programs. The scout believes Cowart’s interviews are important because he “can’t fall back on a bunch of production.” The former five-star recruit produced an abysmal athletic SPARQ composite score in the 4th percentile at the NFL Scouting Combine, making it tough to guage how he’s valued by the NFL.

Cowart (6'3/298) finished towards the bottom in the forty and towards the middle in the broad jump after clearing 111 inches. Coming into college, Cowart was a five-star recruit, but he didn’t quite live up to big expectation for the Terrapins. In 2018, Cowart only had five tackles for loss and 18 solo tackles across 12 games. It’s tough to gauge how the NFL will treat Cowart.

The Seahawks adore defensive lineman who are athletic and can rush the passer from the inside. That’s what Cowart and “potentially” do, so we think this is a good fit on paper, as well. The former five-star prospect has been a bit of a bust, but we have seen guys be better pros than college players. That could be the case with Cowart as well.

We can see it. Events like this -- and especially the combine -- are where athletes can shine, and Cowart is a heck of an athlete. Unfortunately, the former five-star recruit has not lived up to his ridiculous high school hype at Auburn or Maryland on the football field. Rang hears that Cowart is now up to a chiseled 290 pounds to go along with his 6-foot-4 height, and has “shown maturity and resiliency in re-building his reputation.” There are going to be questions surrounding Cowart until he does it on the field, but there’s no doubt he’s going to intrigue scouts if he shows out in Mobile.