Former NFL Scout Blown Away by Georgia’s Brock Bowers

Georgia tight end (TE) Brock Bowers is one of the most impressive college football prospects I’ve ever evaluated.

In the book that taught me how to do this, Razzano: Secrets of an NFL Scout, Tony Razzano said “There are no 10’s.”

Bowers produced seven complete games last season that were about as close to a 10 as I’ve seen.

Wow.

Both as a receiver and a blocker, he does everything well. After putting together back-to-back 50+ catch seasons in 2021-2022 for the Bulldogs, there might be a perception he’s a receiving tight end.

That would only be a half-truth.

He’s also an excellent blocker.

Bowers is a throwback who is everything an NFL team would want in the position. The late John Madden would have gone crazy for a guy like this. Bowers is a pure football player who was out there aggressively double-team blocking a TCU defender on a run play deep into the third quarter with his team up 45-7. That about sums it up.

Attacks defenses from everywhere

Bowers lines up tight and wide on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Sometimes he even runs an end around and takes a handoff. He looks like a hybrid tight end, full back, and wide receiver all rolled into one. I chicken scratched 15 plays his block sprung a receiving teammate after the catch.

From all vantage points, Bowers is blocking and catching passes all over the place.

Bowers made it a habit of stretching defenses downfield.

Catches damn near everything

That’s because he is sure-handed sporting a 73% catch rate in 2022 and a 69% catch rate in 2021.

Outside of a few off-target throws, he catches everything in sight. Check him out against Missouri showing off his vertical.

Even when he was tightly covered – – it didn’t matter. This is partially what makes him so tough to defend. He’s such a dependable target.

Dominant traits

He has the rare combination of initial quickness, acceleration, and crisp change of direction, which makes him special.

The only real hope a defender has is to be more physical – – that’s about the only thing that worked – – and it didn’t work all that often because Bowers himself is very physical.

Get the draft card ready

There have only been four tight ends selected in the first round since 2018 (Hayden Hurst, T.J. Hockenson, Kyle Pitts, and Dalton Kincaid).

Despite it being early in the process, Bowers is next.

This Georgia tight end dominates defenses like a man amongst boys at the college level and that’s exactly the type who stars at the next level.

#19 Brock Bowers 6-foot-4, 230 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Summer 2023 Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 95.7% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of July 30, 2023 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2022 game film reviewed: Tennessee, LSU, Florida, Missouri, South Carolina, Oregon, and TCU (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2022 stats: 63 receptions, 942 yards (15.0 avg.), 7 TD, long-78 yards

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Complete tight end prospect with elite athleticism and he’s a high-effort consistently effective positional run blocker. Tough for defenders to match on short to intermediate routes. Patient crafty route runner. Creates leverage and separation by planting his foot at route breakpoints and accelerating toward the ball. Crisp change of direction. Knows how to get open. Boxes out defenders. Plucks the ball away from his body with strong hands. A determined runner who’s not easy to bring down after the catch. Once in a while looks more methodical running routes when he’s not the intended receiver. Draws occasional double-team coverages, which clears areas out for other receivers. Extremely competitive and active pass and run blocker. Selflessly gets after it and stays after it. Blocks more than going out on routes.

What to watch for during the 2023 college football season

1. How does he adjust to a new QB?

2. Catch rate increase?

3. How does he look against extremely physical coverage?

4. Overall production?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, contributes at Yardbarker, and has written for Sports Illustrated Lions, Jets, and 49ers, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock.