The D.C. Defenders signed wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. on Tuesday according to the UFL Transactions page.
Lynn Bowden Jr. is five foot eleven and weighs 204 pounds. The 27-year-old from Youngstown, Ohio, was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders in the third round (80th pick) of the 2020 NFL Draft. The Raiders traded Bowden Jr. to the Miami Dolphins on September 5, 2020. In 2020, Bowden Jr. made 28 catches for 211 yards, nine carries for 32 yards, and completed 1 of 2 passes (50%) for 32 yards in 10 games. A year later, he did not play the season due to being placed on the COVID-19 list.
In 2022, Bowden Jr. made four catches for 94 yards, two touchdowns, one kick return for 26 yards, and four punt returns for 37 yards in three preseason games. The Dolphins released him on August 30, 2022. The New England Patriots signed him on September 1, 2022. In 2022, he dressed for one game against the Indianapolis Colts and spent the rest of the season on the practice squad.
The Patriots released him on May 10, 2023, and the New Orleans Saints signed Bowden Jr. on June 15, 2023. In 2023, Bowden Jr. made three catches for 40 yards, three kick returns for 61 yards, five punt returns for 43 yards, and one tackle (1 assist) in three preseason games. In the regular season, Bowden Jr. made 11 catches for 82 yards, three kick returns for 64 yards, and seven punt returns for 53 yards in 15 games.
Collegiately, Bowden Jr. played three seasons at Kentucky (2017-19) making 114 catches for 1,303 yards, six touchdowns, 206 carries for 1,530 yards, 13 touchdowns, completing 38 of 79 passes (48.1%) for 495 yards, three touchdowns, five interceptions, 71 kick returns for 1,628 yards, nine punt returns for 199 yards, and two touchdowns in 39 games for the Wildcats. He was named First Team All-SEC (2019), Consensus All-American (2019), Second Team All-SEC (2018), and the winner of the Paul Hornung Award in 2019.
