Brock Bowers Has The Abilities To Elevate The Entire New Orleans Saints Offense
NFL tight ends have rarely made a big impact during their first season in the league historically. We've seen that change in recent years. Last year, Sam LaPorta (Lions) and Dalton Kincaid (Bills) were second on their respective teams in receiving for two of the league's better offenses. In 2021, Kyle Pitts (Falcons) set rookie receiving records for a tight end.
Other tight ends throughout the league have been premier weapons for their teams. Travis Kelce (Chiefs), George Kittle (49ers), T.J. Hockenson (Vikings) and Dallas Goedert (Eagles) have taken their offenses to another level.
The New Orleans Saints have put little emphasis on tight ends recently. Juwan Johnson has shown that he can be a matchup weapon, but he's a converted wideout with limitations as a blocker and issues getting off the line in traditional sets. Foster Moreau is more of a traditional in-line tight end, but is used little as a receiving target.
This may change with the hiring of offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and an almost entirely new offensive staff. Kubiak, who coached Kittle in San Francisco, has used tight ends well in his system.
Will New Orleans use this position more in 2024?
We can only wait and see, but the Saints showed no interest in any of the talented tight ends available in free agency. The draft, however, might prove to be a different story. There is a sure-fire first round tight end that is expected to add to offenses what the names listed above have.
Brock Bowers, TE
Georgia Bulldogs tight end Brock Bowers (19) runs after a catch against the Auburn Tigers. © Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK
Georgia
6'3", 243-Lbs.
A graduate of Napa High School in California, Bowers turned down a ton of national recruiting offers to play at Georgia. There, he was a critical part of the Bulldogs back-to-back national championship teams. Among his many awards included winning the John Mackey Award for the nation's top tight end in 2022 and 2023 and 1st Team All-American honors in 2023.
In a rarity, Bowers led the Bulldogs in receiving from the tight end spot during all three of his seasons. He caught 56 passes for 882 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman in 2021, then followed that up with 63 receptions for 942 yards and seven scores in 2022.
Despite only appearing in 10 of 14 games last season, Bowers pulled in 56 balls for 714 yards and six touchdowns. He'd finish his Georgia career second in all-time receiving touchdowns, third in receptions, and fifth in receiving yardage.
Bowers has elite athleticism for a tight end. He has instant acceleration at the snap and can run the full route tree like a seasoned wideout. He's equally effective whether coming off the line, splitting out wide, or lined up in the slot.
Georgia Bulldogs tight end Brock Bowers (19) hauls in a reception against Florida safeties Tre'Vez Johnson (16) and Rashad Torrence II (22). © Corey Perrine / USA TODAY NETWORK
A nearly impossible cover for linebackers, Bowers also possesses a size advantage over most corners and even safeties. He'll explode out of his breaks to get separation against man coverage, but also has excellent awareness to find openings in zones.
Bowers has sure hands and good body control to snatch off-target throws. He's a reliable target in traffic, showing excellent concentration and using his body expertly to shield defenders from the throw.
Lethal after the catch, Bowers pulls away from defenders with a long stride, has elusiveness in the open field, and will put his head down to bowl through tacklers. His open field ability and skills as a runner allow him to be a weapon on jet sweeps and TE screens.
Georgia Bulldogs tight end Brock Bowers (19) gets past TCU Horned Frogs safety Millard Bradford (28) during the CFP national championship game. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
While undersized for the position, Bowers shows both good effort and solid technique as a blocker. However, he doesn't sustain blocks well for the running game.
With arms a bit on the shorter side, Bowers doesn't have a great catch radius. He'll have to show that he can be physical enough as an in-line tight end to get off the line through traffic against NFL defenses.
Bowers rarely saw press man coverage in college. His release skills should be tested early on against physical corners when he lines up outside the numbers.
Brock Bowers is a bona-fide threat at every level of a defense. His abilities can elevate an offense to another level. He's a sure first-round pick and will certainly be the first tight end selected.
Georgia Bulldogs tight end Brock Bowers (19) runs after a catch against the Kentucky Wildcats. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The only question is where Bowers will be picked on the opening night of the draft. He has top-10 talent, and the Saints are unlikely to trade up to get him with so several more pressing team needs.
There are also several quarterbacks projected to go early in the draft. If this causes Bowers to slip out of the top ten and he's there for New Orleans at Number 14, then coordinator Klint Kubiak could very well have a dynamic new weapon for his offense.
