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Scout's view: How this fabulous NFL prospect compares to Gronk
Daniel Kelly spent four years in pro scouting with the New York Jets. He is the published author of the book "Whatever It Takes," the story of a fan making it into the NFL.
I often don't see eye to eye with the mainstream scouting perspective, but grab me a hymn book and let me sing along about the talents of Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. Nearly all the NFL Draft outlets listed on nflmockdraftdatabase.com rate him as a first-round talent.
Count me in. After studying seven of his 15 games from last season, I have a first-round grade on Bowers, who reminds me of Rob Gronkowski, the best tight end of the 21st century and maybe the best of all time.
Bowers gives up two inches and 30 or so pounds to Gronk, who played at 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds for the Patriots and Bucs. Bowers, however, ran a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash coming out of high school, the last 40 time we have for him. That's faster than Gronk's 4.68. I think you'll be amazed by Bowers' speed at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in February.
Only four tight ends have been selected in the first round since 2018: Hayden Hurst (Baltimore 2018), T.J. Hockenson (Detroit 2019), Kyle Pitts (Atlanta 2021) and Dalton Kincaid (Buffalo 2023). But it's safe to assume that barring injury, Bowers' name will be added to this list in Detroit on April 25, 2024.
You may have heard the NFL is a pass-happy league. Twenty-nine of 32 teams threw more than half the time last season, so Bowers could put up Gronk-like numbers in the league. Gronkowski finished his NFL career with 9,286 receiving yards, a 15-yard-per-catch average and 92 TD catches.
In March, Fox Sports' Warren Sharp released a study identifying league trends and the advantages tight ends create against modern-day defenses. It revealed the leading receiver in the NFL since 2015 is a tight end — Kansas City's Travis Kelce with 9,482 yards.
Wrote Sharp: "It's no surprise the Chiefs, 49ers, Ravens and Eagles all have signed their tight ends to the largest contracts at their position in the NFL, nor is it a surprise that these teams have seen these tight ends contribute to their incredible team success over the last few years."
Added Sharp, "As a counter to modern defenses, more teams need to incorporate tight ends into their early-down passing offense."
Here's what you should know about Bowers, who shows outstanding speed and athletic ability on these plays:
1. He's an elite receiver
Bowers, who has caught over 69% of targets and put together back-to-back 50+ catch seasons, is tough for defenders to cover in the short-to-intermediate route levels given his speed, athleticism, craftiness as a route runner and patience.
It's a lot to ask of a defender to cover a guy who crisply plants his foot at route breakpoints before exploding and accelerating toward the ball with his strong hands. Offensive players already have the advantage of knowing the plays, but this kind of added ability gives Bowers an almost unfair advantage. He's also a determined runner after the catch and tough to bring down.
Bowers' only weakness may be that he doesn't always run his routes as hard when he's not the intended receiver, but that's just me being nitpicky.
2. Highly productive blocker
I'm not sure how many would think of Bowers as a big-time blocker, but on game film, he spends more time blocking than running routes. Whether it's a pass or run play, he really gets after a defender no matter what the scoreboard says. Bowers doesn't take a play off and is as selfless as they come.
3. Attacks from different vantage points
Defenses must know where Bowers is pre-snap because he can line up on either side of the formation, in tight to the line of scrimmage or split out wide. Bowers is like a hybrid fullback, tight end and wide receiver rolled into one. His number is called occasionally for an end-around run — on 13 carries over two seasons at Georgia, he has 165 yards and four touchdowns.
Bottom line
Selecting a tight end in the first round is not nearly as sexy as picking a franchise QB or elite pass-rusher. However, make no mistake: Bowers is a legit blue-chip weapon. It's worth noting his blocking prowess also allows him to sell that "look" before releasing into a route. He'll keep NFL defensive coordinators up late strategizing how to stop him.
Bowers looks like the ultimate catch for an NFL team, no pun intended.
More must-reads:
- Scout's view: Why Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. is overrated as 2024 draft prospect
- Scout's view: Why Alabama QB Jalen Milroe bears watching
- The 'Starting QBs from the 2010 NFL season' quiz
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