Brock Bowers Hall of Fame Grade

There are grades, and then there are ‘grades,’ and giving Georgia tight end a Hall of Fame grade before the draft is only the second time I’ve ever done this.

Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter was the first, Carter was the No. 1 prospect on my pre-draft 2023 First Round Mock Board.

I have more good things to say about Bowers than the allotted space.

Wow.

Not only is Bowers an elite complete tight-end, but he plays at the same high level on every single play game in and game out.

I LOVE THAT.

I’ve never seen anything like this from a tight end and I’ve seen some good ones over the past 40+ years.

My focus is on three areas I find to be incredible coming from a blue-chip player…The things that make Bowers a Hall of Fame prospect.

1. Selflessness

Football is a team sport and the idea is to check yourself at the door. Bowers gets it. He doesn’t just play ‘touch tag’ at the less glamorous task of blocking.

No, Bowers blocks like he means it.

Time after time this Georgia tight end showed this coveted characteristic of being the working definition of a team player.

2. Competitiveness

This trait showed up most on game film with Bowers after making catches.

Even the television announcer versus Auburn commented that 80% of his receiving yardage comes after the catch.

One of Hall of Fame Coach Bill Parcells ‘critical factors of scouting,’ when I worked under him at the Jets in Pro Scouting was, “Is football important to him?”

The answer is a resounding yes with Bowers.

3. Opens things up for teammates

Television announcers also kept commenting on how Bowers opened up things downfield on passing plays for his teammates.

Defenses must respect Bower and often double-team him, which opens up opportunities for other receivers.

Attention NFL offensive coordinators, he’s one heck of a decoy.

Take Bowers before a wide receiver

Bowers is one of those who could’ve played in any era. Heck, give him a leather helmet and I’m sure could’ve thrown that on and played back then.

I believe Bowers is the most valuable offensive skill position player in this draft class. That’s because of the matchup nightmare he creates. Receivers have to match up against highly skilled, athletic, and fast cornerbacks, but Bowers gets to match up against less agile linebackers and safeties in the NFL.

Good luck with that.

#19 Brock Bowers 6-foot-4, 240 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2024 NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 97.7% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of February 9, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

Former NFL Scout Blown Away by Georgia’s Brock Bowers (7 games evaluated)

2023 game film reviewed: Tennessee, Ole Miss, Alabama, South Carolina, Kentucky, Auburn, Vanderbilt, and UAB (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2023 stats: 56 catches on 73 targets (77% catch rate) for 714 yards (12.8 avg.), 6 TD, long of 49

Injury note: Surgery on high ankle sprain in 2023 (did return to action vs. Ole Miss, Tennessee and Alabama in SEC Championship)

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Athletic prospect with speed, acceleration, and good hands who gets after it as a blocker. Energetic. Instinctual. Aggressive. Versatile pre-snap, can line up in tight or split out. Must be accounted for. Major distraction for defenses. Muscular target who comes down hard on secondaries. Excels short to intermediate. Smooth, and polished route runner. Sets up defenders with his signature juke and head fakes before offering a quick and crisp change of direction at the last second that leaves defenders guessing until it’s too late. Master at the art of route leverage. Can swim over defenders. Creates throwing windows using his frame to box out. Wins in man coverage with routes featuring breakpoints. Destroys zone coverage. Struggles separating on pure straight-line vertical or horizontal routes. Average catch radius. Average on contested catches. Can take handoffs or direct snaps. Great blocker.

Final words

Earmarked for greatness.

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.