Getty Georgia tight end Brock Bowers.
Tom Brady had Rob Gronkowski. Patrick Mahomes has Travis Kelce.
Could Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow be about to get his very own wingman/tight end in the upcoming NFL draft?
The latest PFF mock draft has Georgia tight end Brock Bowers headed to the Bengals in the first round with the No. 18 overall pick. It has the potential to create a dynamic duo between quarterback and tight end to rival Brady-Gronk on the New England Patriots and Mahomes-Kelce on the Kansas City Chiefs.
“It may come as a shock to see Bowers fall this far on draft night, but last year’s highly touted tight end class didn’t see a player come off the board until the Buffalo Bills traded up to the No. 25 overall pick to select Dalton Kincaid,” wrote PFF’s Brad Spielberger. “Unlike last year, however, the tight end depth is not nearly as strong, which could push Bowers up the board since teams may view him as the one true high-level prospect at the position in the class.”
Bowers walked away from Georgia as arguably the greatest tight end in college football history. In three seasons, he had 175 receptions for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns along with 19 carries for 193 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
Bowers was also a two-time national champion, three-time Associated Press All-American and became the first player in college football history to win the Mackey Award twice as the nation’s top collegiate tight end.
Size, Injury Concerns for Bowers Ahead of Draft
Bowers checked in at 6-foot-3 and 243 pounds at the NFL combine — two inches shorter than Kelce and three inches shorter than Gronkowski. He also missed four games in 2023 with an ankle injury.
“(Bowers) may bring some size concerns in his transition to the NFL game,” Spielberger wrote. “Cincinnati hasn’t had a top tight end since Tyler Eifert, and adding another pass catcher also makes sense following wideout Tee Higgins’ trade request this offseason.”
ESPN’s Field Yates had Bowers slotted as his No. 8 overall prospect in his latest NFL draft rankings released on March 30.
“Bowers is a nightmare matchup for any defense,” Yates wrote. “His elite route running and run-after-catch traits make him an offensive mismatch.”
Bengals Offense Missing Elite Tight End
Burrow is coming off a wrist injury that ended his season in 2023 after 10 games — his second season-ending injury in four seasons.
When Burrow has been healthy, almost no one has been better. The Bengals made him the highest-paid player in NFL history before the 2023 season with a five-year, $275 million contract extension that pays him $55 million annually.
One thing Burrow hasn’t had in his time in the pros is an elite tight end. Since the Bengals selected Burrow No. 1 overall in the 2020 NFL draft, no Cincinnati tight end has eclipsed 500 receiving yards.
Bowers could change all of that.
“Prolific pass-catching tight end with a rare blend of acceleration, speed, body control and hands that could breathe new life into a stale NFL offense,” NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote about Bowers in his pre-draft profile. “…It might take a year for him to acclimate to defenders who are bigger, faster and longer, but he appears destined to become a highly productive NFL player with Pro Bowl upside.”