Tom Brady had Rob Gronkowski. Patrick Mahomes has Travis Kelce.
Could Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow Could the Cincinnati Bengals be getting their own wingman/tight end in the upcoming NFL draft?
The latest PFF mock draft has Georgia tight end Brock Bowers predicted to go to the Bengals in the first round as the No. 18 overall pick. This has the potential to create a strong partnership between quarterback and tight end, similar to the one between Brady and Gronkowski in the New England Patriots and Mahomes and Kelce in the Kansas City Chiefs.
“It might be surprising to see Bowers fall this far in the draft, given that no tight ends were selected in the first round last year. However, the current tight end class isn't as strong, which could lead to Bowers being chosen earlier since he's seen as the top prospect at that position in this class, Dalton Kincaidwas written by PFF's Brad Spielberger.
Bowers left Georgia as arguably the best tight end in college football history. In three seasons, he caught 175 passes for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns, and made 19 carries for 193 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
Bowers was also a two-time national champion, three-time Associated Press All-American, and the first player in college football history to win the Mackey Award twice as the best college tight end.
Size, Injury Concerns for Bowers Ahead of Draft
Bowers is 6-foot-3 and 243 pounds at the moment — two inches shorter than Kelce and three inches shorter than Gronkowski. He also missed four games in 2023 due to an ankle injury. NFL combine “(Bowers) may bring some size concerns in his transition to the NFL game,” Spielberger wrote. “Cincinnati hasn’t had a top tight end since Tyler Eifert, and adding another pass catcher also makes sense following wideout Tee Higgins’ trade request this offseason.
ESPN’s Field Yates
had Bowers ranked as the No. 8 overall prospect in the most recent NFL draft rankings on March 30. “Bowers is a major challenge for any defense,” Yates wrote. “His excellent route running and ability to run after catching the ball make him a mismatch for the opponents.
Bengals Offense Missing Elite Tight End
Burrow is recovering from a wrist injury that
ended his 2023 season after 10 games — the second time in four seasons he's had a season-ending injury. When Burrow has been healthy, almost no one has been better. The Bengals made him the highest-paid player in NFL history before the 2023 season with a five-year, $275 million contract extension
that pays him $55 million annually. One thing Burrow hasn’t had in his time in the pros is an elite tight end. Since the Bengals selected Burrow No. 1 overall in the 2020 NFL draft, no Cincinnati tight end has gained more than 500 receiving yards
Bowers could change all of that. “Prolific pass-catching tight end with a rare blend of acceleration, speed, body control and hands that could breathe new life into a stale NFL offense,” NFL analyst Lance Zierlein.
wrote about Bowers
in his pre-draft profile. “…It might take a year for him to acclimate to defenders who are bigger, faster and longer, but he appears destined to become a highly productive NFL player with Pro Bowl upside. The most recent PFF mock draft predicts that the Cincinnati Bengals will choose Georgia tight end Brock Bowers with the No. 18 overall pick. in his pre-draft profile. “…It might take a year for him to acclimate to defenders who are bigger, faster and longer, but he appears destined to become a highly productive NFL player with Pro Bowl upside.”
