In the wake of such a talented 2023 rookie tight end class, Georgia’s Brock Bowers enters the NFL Draft with lofty expectations as he has a chance to be one of the highest-drafted tight ends of all time. Let’s take a look at Bowers’ history and examine his path to the NFL.
Where Did Brock Bowers’ Football Career Start?
As is often the case in high school football, the best and most athletic player plays quarterback. That’s how Bowers started his career at Napa High School in California.
After his freshman year as the quarterback for his school’s junior varsity team, Bowers was elevated to the varsity squad. He was a two-way player, playing linebacker on defense and tight end on offense.
In his junior year, Bowers really broke out and put his name in the national conversation as one of the top college recruits. He totaled 1,499 yards from scrimmage and caught 14 touchdowns — a school record. He helped his high school reach the state playoffs and was named Napa County Player of the Year.
Bowers’ path to college underwent the same hiccup as many of his peers. He missed his entire senior season due to the pandemic causing its cancellation. Even without playing or even practicing for an entire year, Bowers was named to the All-American Bowl.
While in high school, Bowers caught the attention of many major Division I programs. He was a four-star recruit and considered the second-best tight end in the nation.
Bowers received 22 offers from D-I programs. Ultimately, he chose to enroll at Georgia.
Revisiting Bowers’ College Career
It’s not easy for true freshmen to immediately make a name for themselves. That’s what makes Bowers all the more impressive. From the moment he stepped onto Georgia’s campus, he was just different.
Bowers played in 15 games as a freshman, catching 56 passes for 882 yards and 13 touchdowns. He even added four carries for 56 yards and one touchdown. Tight ends don’t often get any carries. It speaks to Bowers’ tremendous athleticism.
When he’s not catching touchdowns for Georgia, Brock Bowers is a magician…
— College Football Network (@CFN365) October 29, 2022
As a sophomore, Bowers repeated the success of his freshman year. He caught 63 balls for 942 yards and seven touchdowns. Bowers also added nine carries for 109 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
In his junior year, Bowers’ production took a bit of a step back. After averaging over 15.0 yards per reception his first two seasons, he only averaged 12.8 yards per reception in 2023. However, Bowers dealt with injuries that cost him five games.
Despite playing only 10 games, Bowers still managed to haul in 56 passes for 714 yards and six touchdowns. He finished his collegiate career with 175 receptions, 2,538 receiving yards, 26 receiving touchdowns, and five rushing touchdowns.
Bowers’ Potential in the NFL
It’s safe to say Bowers’ ceiling is as high as anyone’s. He’s considered one of the greatest tight end prospects of all time.
There have been 26 tight ends selected in the first round since 2000, but only five taken in the top 10. Bowers is a near-lock to make it six.
NFL draft analyst Ian Cummings had this to say about the Georgia TE: “Bowers grades out as a top-10 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s a blue-chip talent and the clear-cut No. 1 player at his position. Not only that, but his ability arguably transcends positional bounds and will enable him to be a usage-versatile offensive weapon in the NFL.”
Cummings added, “Bowers can still work on refining his plant-and-drive technique on certain routes, and his versatility stops at being a consistent in-line blocker without high-end size and strength. But overall, there’s little stopping him from being an instant Day 1 asset for an offense and a potential game-changing force.”
MORE: Ian Cummings’ Full Scouting Report of Brock Bowers
Even the most elite tight ends often take a couple of years to come into their own. However, a select few are able to hit the ground running from Day 1.
Most recently, we saw this with Detroit Lions TE Sam LaPorta last year. Bowers has the potential to be even better than LaPorta right away.
It would not be the least bit surprising if we’re talking about Bowers as the best tight end in football as early as 2026.
Highlights, Records, and More
You don’t become arguably the greatest TE prospect of all time without breaking some records. Bowers finished his three years at Georgia with no shortage of awards and accolades.
On a team level, Bowers was part of Georgia’s back-to-back CFP National Championship-winning teams in 2021 and 2022. He comes to the NFL with experience winning on a big stage.
As a freshman in 2021, Bowers was named SEC Freshman of the Year. He was a first-team All-SEC member in all three seasons at Georgia.
Bowers was a First-Team All-American in 2022 and a Unanimous All-American in 2023. He won the John Mackey Award for the best tight end in the nation in both 2022 and 2023, becoming the first player in history to win it twice. CFN named Bowers to its Second-Team All-American Offense. Had he not gotten hurt, he almost certainly would have been on the first team.
Bowers comes to the NFL with a slew of individual and team accomplishments. He has the talent and athleticism to contribute immediately to whichever team has the privilege of drafting him.
MORE: 2024 NFL Draft Big Board
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