Getty Georgia tight end Brock Bowers on September 23, 2023.
While the Kansas City Chiefs are expected to select a wide receiver in the 2024 NFL draft, insurance for the future is also a consideration. With Georgia’s Brock Bowers, Kansas City can kill two birds with one stone.
Bowers is universally considered the No. 1 tight end entering the draft this year. ESPN’s Jordan Reid wrote, “Bowers’ formational versatility and reliability at the catch point are unmatched in this class.
“The clear TE1 can be a mismatch all over the field. One of the most impressive parts about his game is his run-after-catch ability; he’s difficult to bring down.” For Kansas City to land Bowers, NFL Network’s Tom Blair floated a blockbuster trade proposal with the Chicago Bears.
In exchange for the No. 9 overall pick, the Chiefs send Chicago their 2024 first-round pick (No. 32 overall), 2024 second-round pick (No. 64), 2024 fourth-round pick (No. 131), and 2025 first-round pick.
While the price is beyond hefty, Bowers is “Travis Kelce‘s successor,” Blair wrote. “The 34-year-old can’t help anchor the offense forever, though, so in this scenario, Kansas City stops playing the lottery and goes hard for a legitimate blue-chipper.”
As a true freshman in 2021, Bowers caught 56 passes for 882 yards and 13 touchdowns. In 10 games last season, he registered 56 catches for 714 yards and 6 touchdowns.
“Adding another truly dynamic option for [quarterback Patrick] Mahomes to work with and providing a buffer against any time [wide receiver Rashee] Rice might miss as part of potential discipline for his alleged involvement in a high-speed crash.
“Plus, with Kelce still producing at a high level, Bowers would have the freedom to deal with the growing pains that typically hit rookie tight ends.”
The Chiefs ‘Have to Get Above 10’ to Reach TE Brock Bowers
Georgia TE Brock Bowers’s CFB career (3 seasons):
🔴 175 Receptions
🔴 2,538 Receiving Yards
🔴 26 Touchdowns
🏆 2021 & 2022 National Champion
🏆 2x John Mackey winner
✅ Elite receiving TE
✅ Elite blocking TE
Which NFL team should draft Bowers? 🤔
Kansas City hasn’t traded up to select a player in the Top 10 since Mahomes in 2017, which obviously worked out pretty well. The Chiefs sent the Buffalo Bills a third-rounder and their 2018 first-rounder in the exchange.
Overall, it’s hard to imagine Chiefs general manager Brett Veach giving up two first-rounders for unproven NFL talent. However, NFL writer Frank Schwab suggested a different trade package for the Chiefs to land Bowers. He called the 6-foot-3, 230-pounder “one of the best tight ends coming out of college I’ve ever seen.”
Scwhab told Yahoo! Sports Jason Fitz, “The math on this, actually, works out pretty well, where the Chiefs have 32. They’re a second-round pick, which is late in the second round. And next year’s first, all the way up to seven. With the Tennessee Titans, who goodness knows the Tennessee Titans need draft picks, so this works out for them.
“And then the Chiefs draft Brock Bowers. I love Brock Bowers. I know that people are talking about him sliding, him getting into the teens or whatever. I don’t think he gets past the Jets at 10. So the Chiefs have to get above 10.”
Chiefs News: Kansas City Hosted TE Ben Sinnott for a Pre-Draft Visit
GettyKansas State tight end Ben Sinnott at Caesars Superdome on December 31, 2022.
The Chiefs met with several prospective tight ends throughout the draft interview process, so there’s interest in the position. The team also hosted Kansas State tight end Ben Sinnott for a pre-draft visit on April 8.
AtoZ Sports’ Charles Goldman wrote, “The Chiefs have done a lot of work on this tight end class thus far, which tells you they’re starting to think about life after Travis Kelce. At the very least, they need to find themselves a young and cost-effective option to help spell Kelce at certain points during the 2024 NFL season.
“That could help extend Kelce’s career, but it also sets the team up for future success with a true understudy in place.”
The versatile pass-catching tight end ran the 40 in 4.68, with a 40-inch vertical, 126-inch broad jump. He finished the shuttles in 4.23 and the three-cone in 6.82. The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder’s burst score, 97.4%, bested every tight end in the 2024 class.
Goldman surmised, “Given his skill set, there is little doubt in my mind that Chiefs HC Andy Reid can find a way to utilize Sinnott effectively in this offense. Even with Kelce, Noah Gray, and Irv Smith Jr. already in the fold.”