Every year in the draft, at least one blue-chip prospect falls further down the board than expected. Last year, it was Jalen Carter. The year prior, Kyle Hamilton slipped to No. 14. Even Derwin James fell all the way to No. 17 after some believed he could be a top-five pick in 2018.
This trend puts the Rams in an interesting position, sitting at No. 19 overall in the first round. If a premier prospect were to slip a little bit into the teens, it could entice the Rams to move up a few spots to grab a player they covet. Might that player be tight end Brock Bowers?
In Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock draft for NFL.com, Bowers falls all the way to the Bengals at No. 18. The Rams select Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson one pick later at No. 19, which would be a terrific pick-up for Los Angeles, but it’s hard not to wonder whether Les Snead might move up a spot or two to grab the stud tight end.
It wouldn’t take much to trade up if Bowers were to fall to No. 17 or 18, potentially only an additional fifth-rounder, and the Rams would land one of the best prospects in the class. It would fill a position of need, too.
With Tyler Higbee suffering a torn ACL and MCL in the Rams’ playoff loss to Detroit, he may not be ready for the start of the season. That makes tight end a much higher priority this offseason and Bowers is the type of player who can not only become a Pro Bowler, but have an instant impact in an offense like the Rams’.
With Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua at wideout, and Kyren Williams in the backfield, an athletic and versatile tight end could be a game-changer for McVay’s offense. While he still needs to improve as a blocker, we’ve seen what a difference a pass-catching tight end can make in today’s NFL. Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Sam LaPorta, T.J. Hockenson and even David Njoku. Higbee is a serviceable tight end, but he’s no longer a downfield threat and he doesn’t gain many yards after the catch.
Bowers, on the other hand, can win down the field and also break tackles with the ball in his hands. He’s the unquestioned top tight end in the class and landing him in the middle of the first round would be a home run for Los Angeles.
It’s hard to imagine him falling that far – and Jeremiah even wrote “it’s highly unlikely” to happen – but if there’s a run on wide receivers, edge rushers, corners and quarterbacks in the top half, it could push Bowers down the board and into the Rams’ lap. Snead has never been afraid to make an aggressive move and this could be a great opportunity to land a playmaker on offense.