Tanner Owen, a student at Northwest Missouri State University, has signed a free agent contract with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.
During his four years with the Bearcats, Owen started on offense in all 52 games. Owen was chosen for AFCA All-America on two separate occasions (a first-team selection in 2019 and a second-team pick in 2021).
Owen was named to the all-MIAA first team three times. Both in 2019 and 2021, he was named to the D2CCA’s first team, and as a senior, he was named to the Don Hansen Division II all-America first team.
In 2021, he played a key role in a Bearcat offense that finished 13th in the country in points scored (457.5 yards per game). With Owen’s assistance, quarterback Mike Hohensee was able to have a national record-setting season in terms of passing completion percentage (73.6%) as well as throwing efficiency (187.3 ratings).
How Good Is Tanner Owen?
Owen was an outstanding run blocker at the end of plays and could easily take care of most Division II pass rushers thanks to his talents. The problem is that Owen lacks the agility and quickness necessary to be an effective NFL tackle. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was moved around a bit in camp to try out different roles.
The Bills do not have a lot of room for Owen on their roster because their tackle and tight-end positions are filled. He has some use as a blocking tight end, but he lacks a true position and is therefore more of a tweener.