Tag: Brock Bowers NFL draft

Las Vegas Raiders select Georgia TE Brock Bowers with the 13th overall pick. Grade: B

For the second straight season, the Raiders have made a tight end a major part of their draft plan.

For the second straight season, the Raiders have made a tight end a major part of their draft plan after selecting Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer with the 35th overall pick in the 2023 draft. It’s an interesting construct for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy in that Mayer is more of an in-line reliable guy, while Brock Bowers can mess up linebackers and safeties to the second and third levels of the field. There were certainly more pressing needs here, but there’s no denying what Bowers can do for an offense. 

Brock Bowers was a four-star prospect out of Napa High School in Napa, California, and it took him no time to make an impact in Georgia’s offense. As a freshman, he caught 56 passes on 71 targets for 882 yards and 13 touchdowns, winning all kinds of Freshman of the Year awards. No one-year wonder, Bowers caught 63 passes on 82 targets for 942 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022, and he had 56 catches on seven targets for 717 yards and six touchdowns in 2023.

Bowers certainly projects well as a high-end tight end in the NFL, but there could be more to the picture with his NFL team. He didn’t run downfield for a ton of isolated vertical shots in college, but it could be a hidden superpower that his next team will unleash. Overall, it’s obvious why he’s everybody’s TE1, and there could be more to come.

PLUSES

— Plays at 6′ 3⅛” and 243 pounds with below-average wingspan, arm length, and hand size. Now, go to the tape and tell me any of that is evident. He looks about 6’6″, 260, with all the physical attributes you want at the position.

— Bowers’ desire for the ball shows up both in his acrobatic catches (extending his catch radius), and the ways in which he’ll win contested catches.

— Brings nice acceleration through his routes, and understands how and when to break into gaps in coverage.

— Wins after the catch with pure power; if you’re trying to arm-tackle him, you might as well go home, especially after he gets a full head of steam in the open field.

— When he squares up to block, he’s capable of pancaking defensive linemen with his technique and will to dominate.

MINUSES

— Bowers does need work on his blocking technique; he’s just as prone to wild misses as he is to direct hits.

— He’s more of a glider as a runner than an explosive weapon off the line of scrimmage.

— Arm length shows up as a negative when he has to go up against lankier defenders in tight situations.

I like Bowers a lot, and it’s clear that he’s TE1 in this class. I’d stop short of the “generational” label; he strikes me as an excellent H/slot weapon in a TE-heavy offense with Travis Kelce/George Kittle potential. I appreciate how he’s maximized his tools, and there could be more to the ceiling.

That ceiling may be his ability to run Y-iso routes as Kelce and Kittle do; Georgia didn’t have him doing that a lot, but he’s clearly got the tools to make it happen.

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: TE Brock Bowers, Georgia

This rare talent at the position is poised for Year 1 contributions.

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)

Year School Class G Rec Yds Avg TD Att Yds TD
*2021 Georgia Fr 15 56 882 15.8 13 4 56 1
*2022 Georgia So 15 63 942 15.0 7 9 109 3
*2023 Georgia Jr 10 56 714 12.8 6 6 28 1
Totals 35 175 2,538 14.5 26 19 193 5

*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

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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.