Evaluating Brock Bowers as a football player is a fairly straightforward assignment.
As he showed in three college seasons at Georgia, the 6-foot-3, 243-pounder from Napa, California, is a dynamic receiver with the ability to create separation, make contested catches and explode for big plays after the catch, along with being more than capable as a blocker when the ball isn’t in his hands.
Bowers is widely considered one of the top 10 prospects for this year’s NFL draft — the three-day event starts next Thursday night in Detroit — but because he plays the lower-premium position of tight end, there is much more uncertainty about how high he will get picked.
While there could be teams drafting in the top 10 willing to make the rare investment in a tight end, there is also the distinct possibility Bowers slips in the first round as teams prioritize high-value positions such as quarterback, wide receiver, pass rusher, tackle or cornerback. Bowers, who won the John Mackey Award the past two seasons as college football’s top tight end and helped the Bulldogs earn two national championships during his career, is currently favored to be drafted outside the top 10, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
“He is tough. He is easy to grade. I mean, when you watch him, he’s super easy to grade. He is one of the best 10 players in the draft,” said NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who compared Bowers to All-Pro tight end George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers and praised his tenacity and speed, qualities that allow him to get away from defenders before and after the catch.