The 2024 NFL Draft is fast approaching. The PFF big board is live, mock draft season is in full swing and the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine has wrapped up.
This year’s tight end class is led by Brock Bowers, one of the most productive college tight ends we’ve ever graded. Bowers should be a top-10 pick, but after that, there’s a decent gap between him and TE2. Ja'Tavion Sanders and Erick All could be called in the second round, and players such as Cade Stover and Ben Sinnott could be solid depth options for the middle rounds.
Let's look at Georgia‘s Brock Bowers, who won the John Mackey Award two years in a row—something that hasn’t happened since the award was first created in 2000.
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SCOUTING SUMMARY
Bowers is one of the most well-rounded tight end prospects ever to enter the NFL.
He was named the SEC's Freshman of the Year in 2021. In his sophomore and junior seasons, he was named an All-American and won the John Mackey Award.
His build-up speed is good for the NFL, which is why he has elite after-the-catch ability. He also has some of the strongest hands you'll see for a tight end.
As a blocker, he might be the strongest pound-for-pound tight end you'll find. His versatility allows him to be an elite pre-snap movement piece, as defenses must account for where he is at all times and in all formations.
WINS ABOVE AVERAGE
WAA represents the number of wins a player is worth over an average college football player and is a metric that evaluators can utilize to assess performance. It combines how well a player performed in each facet of play (using PFF grades) and how valuable each facet is to winning football games.
The result is a first-of-its-kind metric that allows for cross-positional valuation and predicts future value at the player and team levels.
HOW BOWERS RANKS IN THE STABLE METRICS
Receiving grades are relatively stable from year to year, but there is always some level of dependency on quarterback play when evaluating receivers. Isolating receivers against single coverage versus zone is informative, as it shows how much was earned in one-on-one situations compared to more scheme-driven production. Advanced data shows how open receivers are on their targeted routes, and separation percentage is one way to isolate the receiver away from his quarterback.
As far as advanced stats go, yards per route run (YPRR) is one of the best measures of a wide receiver’s production, as it takes into account how well he takes advantage of his opportunities. Average depth of target (aDOT) and yards after the catch per reception are informative about a receiver’s usage pattern, and his after-the-catch expectations are directly affected by how far down the field he is targeted. Both numbers are as much about style as they are about production.
In the run game, positively graded blocks are more stable than negatives from season to season.
Bowers is a dynamic playmaker who graded out as one of the best tight ends in PFF College history. He averaged 2.64 yards per route run and 8.5 yards after the catch per reception over his career, which would have ranked first among all NFL tight ends last season.
The Georgia product isn't the biggest guy, but he ranked in the 80th percentile in contested catch rate for his career.
If he doesn’t look like your typical tight end, it’s because he’s not. Bowers has lined up in the slot or as an outside receiver on 1,033 snaps and as an in-line tight end on 876 snaps. Whichever team picks him in April is getting an elite weapon.
BOTTOM LINE FROM PFF's 2024 NFL DRAFT GUIDE
Besides being on the smaller side, Bowers is a dream tight end prospect who can be an impact player in the slot, out wide and in line. Add in his reliable blocking ability on the line and in space, and you have an ultimate chess piece offensive weapon with All-Pro potential.
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