The first player in NCAA history to win the John Mackey Award in consecutive years as the nation’s best tight end, Brock Bowers leaves Georgia for the 2024 NFL Draft as the consensus No. 1 player at his position.
He was extremely versatile in high school by playing quarterback, tight end and linebacker, which helped lead to Bowers being a four-star recruit from the three major prep evaluation services.
He would get recognized for being the top freshman in the country and SEC Freshman of the Year. Bowers scored a Georgia record 13 aerial touchdowns in 15 appearances, and the Associated Press named him to the Second-Team All-American roster. He also was a First-Team All-SEC selection. This is all the more impressive given the pandemic canceled his high school senior season.
Over the next two years, while Bowers managed a respectable 13 combined receiving TDs, he also tacked on four rushing scores. He once again earned the AP and SEC honors in both seasons, going from second-team to first as an All-American in 2023, despite missing four games.
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 243 pounds
40 time: 4.48 seconds (unofficial)
Table: TE Brock Bowers, Georgia (2021-23)
*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)
**player gained extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 pandemic
Pros
- Absurd movement skills that jump off the screen — elite speed, acceleration, and lateral motion
- Explosive playmaker who immediately picked up a collegiate offense (in the toughest conference) without a senior year in high school
- Exceptionally dangerous on crosses, seam routes, and slants — any scenario that delivers the ball while he’s in full stride makes for a tough stop
- Quality hands and attacks the ball away from his body
- Proven capable of doing damage on the ground through jet sweeps and end-arounds
- Demonstrated upper-echelon vision and patience on designed yards-after-catch routes, such as extended handoffs and manufactured touches near the line of scrimmage
- Has the hands, tenacity and toughness to suggest he could develop into a stronger blocker
[lawrence-related id=488681]
Cons
- Lacks prototypical size — could lead to durability issues in time and may not hold up in pass protection, thus limiting his scheme versatility
- Functional route runner but still has room for growth in route experience — caught a great deal of his targets near the line of scrimmage
- Was last season’s ankle injury a sign of things to come? It’s not fair to label him injury-prone, but his size and violent style of play could open that door in time
Fantasy football outlook
Bowers’ style of play reminds of George Kittle. It should be noted, though, most hyper-athletic tight ends have struggled to meet expectations in the pros, and frequent injuries sprinkled in with usual strong showings have become Kittle’s brand. Kyle Pitts is a recent example of a “can’t miss” who has yet to really hit.
Bowers comes into the NFL with extraordinary expectations placed upon him, and the 2023 rookie showing of Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta undoubtedly will inflate the former Bulldog’s fantasy stock. Bowers has the talent and potential to be a perennial Pro Bowler. Will that start in Year 1? History suggests otherwise, but there’s a reasonable chance Bowers deserves matchup consideration more often than not as a rook.
He should be a top-20 selection in the upcoming draft, going perhaps as early as No. 10 to the New York Jets. Coming off the board at No. 12 (Denver Broncos) is possible but not likely, and then you see a gap in the teams with the need falling down Seattle (16th), Cincinnati (18th) or the Los Angeles Rams (19th), presuming another franchise doesn’t trade into position to draft Bowers ahead of this teams.