Colts Are Trying to Trade Up in First Round for Georgia Star: Report

Getty Georgia tight end Brock Bowers.

This is not a drill: Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard is trying to trade up on Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Why? Because he wants to get his hands on Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, according to Kelsey Kramer of A to Z Sports on April 8.

“In fact, a source tells A to Z Sports that the Colts are a team that’s working the phones to trade up into the Top 10 for the former Georgia star,” Kramer wrote.

Bowers is an elite prospect at the tight end position. As a player who can be a rare immediate contributor in the passing game as a rookie, he makes sense for Indy, who is looking to add more talent around second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson via the draft.

What to Know About Brock Bowers

Bowers isn’t just an elite prospect — he’s one the best tight end prospects in recent memory.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 240 pounds, Bowers won’t wow you with his size. But he will wow you with his athleticism, receiving skills, and blocking ability for his size.

Bowers finished his career at Georgia with 175 receptions, 2,538 receiving yards, and 31 total touchdowns (26 receiving, 5 rushing) in 35 games played, according to Sports Reference.

Bowers, a two-time National Champion and two-time AP All-American, was the first tight end to lead a national championship team in receiving yards since 1985.

Simply put: Bowers does things that not many folks his size can.

Why Does Brock Bowers Make Sense for Indy?

With Jelani Woods, Kylen Granson, and Mo Alie-Cox already on the roster, there isn’t a desperate need to fill the tight end room with more talent in Indy. But Bowers is just that darn good that he’s worth prioritizing in the draft.

Though all three of those aforementioned players have provided their value to Indy in spurts, none possess the ability of Bowers. With all due respect to the Colts’ current tight end room, Bowers is several tiers above them in terms of ability, especially in the receiving department.

Indy wants to add another elite playmaker to Richardson’s arsenal. The team knows that they will likely have to trade way up into the top 10 — maybe the top 7 — to acquire one of the top 3 receiver prospects (Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze, Malik Nabers).

The Colts could stay put in hopes of drafting LSU receiver Brian Thomas Jr. in the middle of the first round. But there’s no guarantee that he will still be on the board come the 15th overall pick, and he doesn’t have the ceiling that Bowers does in terms of potential.

So, Bowers, who is an elite receiver in his own right, is the next best option among the draft’s top pass catchers that could be available in the backend of the top 10 picks.

Based on the current draft board, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Colts reached out to the Chicago Bears, whose second pick in the first round is No. 9 overall.

The 2024 NFL Draft will take place from April 25 to April 27  in Detroit, Michigan. The three-day event will be available to watch on ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network.

The Colts have one draft pick in each round of this year’s draft: No. 15, No. 46, No. 82, No. 117, No. 151, No. 191, and No. 124.