Byron Cowart (born May 20, 1996) is an American professional football defensive end for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Maryland and Auburn and was selected by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL draft.[1] Entering college, he was regarded as the #1 overall recruit by ESPN and Rivals.[2]
 Cowart with the Maryland Terrapins in 2018 | |||||||||
| No. 93 – Chicago Bears | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | May 20, 1996 Seffner, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 300 lb (136 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Armwood (Seffner, Florida) | ||||||||
| College: | Auburn (2015–2017) Maryland (2018) | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2019 / round: 5 / pick: 159 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 2, 2024 | |||||||||
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College career
editCowart was the #1 high school recruit and committed to Auburn in 2015.[1] However he struggled to get playing time in his first two seasons.[3] After appearing in the team's first two games, Cowart left Auburn early in the 2017 season and attended Hillsborough Community College (HCC) near his Florida home.[3] In December he announced he was transferring to Maryland for the 2018 season.[3]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
298 lb (135 kg) |
33+3⁄4 in (0.86 m) |
10 in (0.25 m) |
5.16 s | 1.81 s | 2.99 s | 4.62 s | 7.66 s | 30.0 in (0.76 m) |
9 ft 3 in (2.82 m) |
26 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[4][5] | ||||||||||||
New England Patriots
editCowart was selected by the New England Patriots in the fifth round (159th overall) of the 2019 NFL draft.[6] He played in five games as a rookie.
Cowart was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on October 12, 2020,[7] and was activated on October 21.[8]
In Week 14 of the 2020 season against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football, Cowart recorded his first career sack on Jared Goff during the 24–3 loss.[9]
On August 31, 2021, Cowart was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list to start the season.[10] On July 22, 2022, the Patriots waived Cowart.[11]
Indianapolis Colts
editOn July 23, 2022, Cowart was claimed by the Indianapolis Colts.[12]
Kansas City Chiefs
editCowart signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on March 24, 2023.[13] He was released on May 10, 2023.[14]
Houston Texans
editOn May 18, 2023, Cowart signed with the Houston Texans.[15] He was released on August 29, 2023.[16]
Miami Dolphins
editOn September 19, 2023, Cowart was signed to the practice squad of the Miami Dolphins.[17] He was not signed to a reserve/future contract after the season and thus became a free agent upon the expiration of his practice squad contract.[18]
Chicago Bears
editOn March 18, 2024, Cowart signed with the Chicago Bears.[19] He was released on August 27, and re-signed to the practice squad.[20][21] Cowart was signed to the active roster in October 5.[22]
References
edit- ^ a b "Former Arwood star Byron a bust no more". tampabay.com. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ "Byron Cowart, 2015 Strongside Defensive End - Rivals.com". N.rivals.com. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Former No. 1 prospect Byron Cowart transfers to Maryland after two seasons at Auburn". baltimoresun.com. December 17, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ "Byron Cowart Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ^ "Byron Cowart, Maryland, DT, 2019 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ^ "NFL draft 2019: Patriots trade up, draft DE Byron Cowart with the 159th pick". Pats Pulpit. April 27, 2019.
- ^ Inabinett, Mark (October 12, 2020). "Patriots put Byron Cowart on reserve/COVID-19". AL.com. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- ^ "Patriots' Byron Cowart: Returns from coronavirus". CBSSports.com. October 21, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- ^ "Patriots vs. Rams - Game Recap - December 10, 2020 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ "Patriots Make Roster Moves to Reach 53-Man Roster Limit; Acquire OL Yasir Durant in a Trade with Kansas City". Patriots.com. September 1, 2021.
- ^ "Patriots release DL Byron Cowart; WR Malcolm Perry placed on Reserve/Retired". Patriots.com. July 22, 2022.
- ^ "Colts Claim DT Byron Cowart Off Waivers, Waive DE Scott Patchan". Colts.com. July 23, 2022.
- ^ "Chiefs sign 2 free-agent defensive tackles". Arrowhead Pride. SB Nation. March 25, 2023.
- ^ Alper, Josh (May 10, 2023). "Chiefs sign three, including CB Lamar Jackson". NBC Sports ProFootballTalk. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Williams, Charean (May 18, 2023). "Texans sign Byron Cowart, waive Eric Tomlinson". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ "Texans announce initial 53-man roster". HoustonTexans.com. August 29, 2023.
- ^ "Dolphins signing former Patriots DL Byron Cowart to the practice squad". Dolphins Wire. September 19, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ^ Masala, Mike (January 15, 2024). "Dolphins sign 8 players to reserve/future contracts after 2023 season". USA Today.
- ^ Mayer, Larry (March 18, 2024). "Roster Move: Bears sign DE Byron Cowart". ChicagoBears.com.
- ^ Mayer, Larry (August 27, 2024). "Roster Moves: Bears reach 53-man roster limit". ChicagoBears.com.
- ^ Mayer, Larry (August 28, 2024). "Roster Moves: Bears sign players to practice squad". ChicagoBears.com.
- ^ "Bears Add Byron Cowart to Roster Amid Defensive Injuries". BVM Sports. Retrieved October 6, 2024.