Georgia knew what it had in tight end Brock Bowers from the jump. The Nappa, Cali., native bursted onto the scene as a freshman and helped take the Bulldogs to the promise land in 2021.
Not only did Bowers lead the national champions in receiving and receiving touchdowns that season, he also broke the UGA record for the most receiving touchdowns in a season by both tight ends and receivers and tied the record for the most receptions in a season by a freshman.
Somehow, Mackey Award voters didn’t select Bowers as the top tight end in college football in 2021, but it was even more clear in 2022 that Bowers was by far the best at the position in the country.
The two-time All-American was given the Mackey Award in 2022 as a sophomore after boosting Georgia to a 15-0 season and another national title.
Bowers is widely considered one of the top NFL draft prospects in the country headed into his junior season. The case for the former-four star recruit to be drafted early in the first-round isn’t complicated.
Former Florida tight end Kyle Pitts is the most recent example of a dominant tight end that prompted an NFL team to make an unprecedented move early in draft. The Atlanta Falcons took Pitts with the No. 4 overall pick in 2021, which set an NFL record for the highest-drafted player at the position in NFL history.
Comparing Bowers and Pitts’ production gives us an idea of how Bowers might be viewed by NFL teams headed into the 2024 draft. Both are unique athletes that cause problems at every level of opposing defenses. What sets Bowers apart is his durability and success as a ball carrier and blocker.
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Bowers over two seasons:
1,824 receiving yards
20 receiving TDs
165 rushing yards
4 rushing TDs -
Kyle Pitts over 3 seasons:
1,492 receiving yards
18 receiving TDs
It should be noted that Pitts missed multiple games due to injury and played during the COVID-19 limited season in 2020. Still, Bowers numbers per game stand out for a player who can also serve inline, as a ball carrier on sweeps and as a primary blocker.
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Bowers:
1989 all purpose yards (68.6 yd/game)
24 TD (0.83 TD/game)
29 games played -
Pitts:
1492 all purpose yards (62.2 yd/game)
18 TD (0.75 TD/game)
24 games played
Let’s keep in mind that Bowers still has a season to prove himself further.
Pro Football Network currently has Bowers listed as the No. 6 ranked prospect on their ‘Top 50 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Watchlist’.
