Mel Kiper Jr.: Brock Bowers comes with no ‘risk factor’ as top ten pick in 2024 NFL Draft

Coming into the 2024 NFL Draft, Georgia tight end Brock Bowers is one of the best offensive players available, regardless of position. Now, he’s projected to go toward the top of the first round.

As the NFL Draft process gets underway, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. praised Brock Bowers, emphasizing how confident he is in Bowers as a top 10 pick.

“Love the kid,” Kiper said. “When you talk about safe picks in the top 10, how can you miss on this guy? There’s zero risk bust here. Brock Bowers is gonna have a heck of an NFL career.”

One of the biggest reasons why Kiper is so high on Bowers is how much production he had during his time at Georgia, outside of the time he spent injured.

“And what I love about this kid, the first two years, his impactful ability as a freshman. 56 catches, almost a 16-yard average, and 13 touchdowns. Then 63 catches a 15-yard average and seven touchdowns. That’s 20 touchdowns in his first two years and then he had the tightrope surgery. He got hurt midseason, around October 14th against Vanderbilt, the two prior games against Auburn and Kentucky he had 15 catches for a 19-yard average and two touchdowns. When he was healthy at Georgia, it didn’t matter if it was Stetson Bennett those first two years, they’re winning the national title. He’s a key entity in that offense.”

Now, the team that Mel Kiper says is the best fit for Brock Bowers is the Los Angeles Chargers. There, he and Justin Herbert could become an elite connection.

“The Chargers, you think about this offense, how tight end-centric it’s gonna be with Jim Harbaugh. Justin Herbert, great quarterback, right? Now you get a tight end you can move around for matchup advantages. We saw Travis Kelce, what was he 11 for 11, they couldn’t cover the guy in the first half. Well, Brock Bowers for Jim Harbaugh who has always had tight ends, wherever he’s been…tight end position so critical to the success of that offense, and Brock Bowers to me one of the best players in this draft. I think he goes as high as I have him in that mock draft. I think he could go as high as five to the LA Chargers.”

Field Yates, who Mel Kiper was talking to, also praised Brock Bowers’ skillset. However, he also did ask Kiper for context drafting a tight end so high, when the position rarely goes that high in the draft.

“We always look at the NFL and say, ‘Who are the tight ends? Well, why don’t you wait a little bit and find a Travis Kelce in the third round find a George Kittle out of Iowa in the fifth round, or find a Mark Andrews down the line a little bit out of Oklahoma, not even in the first two rounds of the draft. So, you look at that and say, ‘Let’s wait a little bit,’ but that was then and this is now,” Kiper said.

“Now, the tight end position, those guys that are receiving entities. I don’t even want to call them tight ends. Brock Bowers can block. Guess what, he can do that and he will do it. He’s got that great football attitude, that approach that hey I can slug it. I can go and get the job done and I can get my hands dirty. I can do what I need to do, but I can also split defenders and be off to the races and outrace defensive backs to paydirt, I can do all that. So, I think when you look at where he belongs in this draft, he belongs somewhere in the top 10, guaranteed.”

Ultimately, if you take Brock Bowers’ position away, his talent level and production are what make him such a clear pick.

“Where does he belong on a ratings board? I think you could make an argument third, fourth best player in this draft and I look at the risk factor and what’s the upside. He’s got no risk factor and he’s got the ability in today’s NFL, if he goes to the right team, and I think the Chargers would be ideal, to maximize all that ability with Justin Herbert. Are you kidding me? Can you imagine him with Jim Harbaugh with Justin Herbert and the Chargers? Let’s not even categorize him as a tight end. He’s a receiving entity who can block.”