COULD BE A BIG LOST: Georgia Bulldogs Are Set to Loss Their Key Star to Denver Broncos Following Huge Interst from Sean Payton

The Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson reports that Broncos head coach Sean Payton is a big fan of Georgia tight end Brock Bowers.
Bowers is undoubtedly one of the draft’s best overall prospects, and Payton is said to be a great fan of his. It remains to be seen whether Bowers advances to 12th overall, but if the Broncos do not select a quarterback in the first round, he could be a name to keep an eye on.

“On offence, Payton favours Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. It remains to be seen if he is still available at No. 12 and how much the Broncos may be running out of patience on often-injured tight end Greg Dulcich, but few evaluators are denying Bowers’ quality.”

 

is a 6-3, 243-pound tight end who is projected to go in the top ten in the 2024 NFL Draft. Bowers spent three seasons at Georgia and immediately established himself as one of the nation’s greatest tight ends. Throughout his three seasons, he made 175 receptions for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns. He had 19 career rushing attempts for 193 yards and 5 touchdowns. This past season with the Bulldogs, he has 56 receptions for 714 yards and 6 touchdowns, as well as 6 rushing attempts for 28 yards and one touchdown.
NFL Draft Profile: Georgia Tight End Brock Bowers

Dane Brugler, The Athletic’s main draft analyst, listed tight ends as his top picks and eighth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He describes Bowers as an explosive pass catcher who creates mismatches all over the field and offers George Kittle-type upside at tight end.

Bowers, a three-year starter at Georgia, was the major weapon in offensive coordinator Mike Bobo’s scheme, lining up across the formation and splitting his career snaps between the slot (52.2 percent), inline (36.6 percent), and wide (9. 5 percent). He was the team’s leading receiver in each of his three seasons in Athens, joining Herschel Walker and David Pollack as the only three-time first-team All-Americans in school history. He also earned the nation’s first two-time recipient of the John Mackey Award for best tight end. Bowers, who has both short-area burst and long speed, makes quick, dynamic cuts to create spacing as a route runner and goes into another gear with the ball in his hands to be a home run threat. He is a natural hand-catcher outside of his frame, snatching without stopping stride. His physicality (before the catch, after the catch, and as a blocker) is nearly as good as his athletic abilities, however his lack of ideal size and length will be noticeable in some inline blocking scenarios. Overall, Bowers is a dynamic pass catcher who creates mismatches all over the field with his speed, ball skills, and competitive spirit. He has NFL star potential in the mould of George Kittle, if he finds a play caller willing to showcase his unique and varied talent.

As we all know, the Broncos have a significant quarterback need, but if they are unable to trade up for one, or if one of the big four does not fall to 12th overall, they may consider Bowers. They need playmakers on offence, and Bowers might quickly become their go-to target. The Broncos might benefit from pairing a player like Bowers with a playmaker and offensive mind like Payton.

However, selecting a tight end at 12th overall is a luxury decision, and a tight end so early is bad positional value, especially for a developing team like the Broncos. Regardless of their quarterback situation, the prospect of matching him with Payton is interesting.

Bowers is often mocked by the New York Jets as the 10th overall pick and could be considered by the Bears as the 9th overall pick, thus the Broncos may not even consider him. If he is available at 12th overall and the Broncos do not choose quarterback, they may hold serious discussions about him in their war room on draft night.