Brock Bowers

OVERVIEW

Our top-rated tight end and a player we project to go in the top 10 in the 2024 draft, Bowers is a big, fluid athlete who boasts the potential to be both a terrific possession receiver and a big-play target who will threaten NFL defenses down the seams. A productive player on the nation’s best college team, Bowers led the Bulldogs in catches each of his three years. His 13 TD grabs in 2021 reflects just how dominant a red-zone presence he can be at the pro level. Followed up his 56 catches in ’21 with 63 more for 942 yards (a robust 15.7 average) in leading the Bulldogs to their second national title in 2022.

Bowers suffered a high ankle sprain in 2023 against Vanderbilt (10/15/23) that caused him to miss two games. He showed his toughness and commitment by returning and playing three of the final four games. Though still hobbled, Bowers caught five passes for 53 yards in the SEC title game loss to Alabama, before sitting out the Orange Bowl win over Florida State.

ANALYSIS

Strengths: Bowers’ size and explosiveness make him a very tough cover from tight end position: too fast for most linebackers, too big for a lot of safeties. His elite acceleration means he’ll put stress on the middle of NFL defenses. Perhaps his most significant asset is his run-after-the catch ability, which might draw comparisons to San Francisco’s George Kittle. He’s a tough, willing blocker. And no one, after his injury-marred 2023, can question Bowers’ toughness and dedication to the game, returning as he did from a lower leg injury and putting up solid numbers (15 catches, two TDs) even though he was clearly compromised.

Weaknesses: Bowers’ flat-out speed and other measurables such as his length and catch radius don’t quite leap off the page. While he plays nasty with the ball in his hands, his blocking at times lacks that tenacity. To become a QB’s best friend on third down, Bowers needs to refine his route-running, which won’t be confused with Travis Kelce’s anytime soon. Solid hands but the aforementioned catch radius might be the reason he doesn’t win on contested passes at the rate you think he should.

Frankly: Regardless what position you give him, Bowers is an extraordinary offensive weapon. If his ankle holds up from tightrope surgery he is one of the top three players in the draft regardless of position, the others being wide receive Marvin Harrison Jr. and offensive tackle Joe  Alt. With the exception of those two, and of course those prized quarterbacks, Bowers is a must-pick if he is available. — FC

Reviewing  2023

Week 12: In a 38-10 walkover against Tennessee, Bowers was targeted eight times, caught seven for 60 yards and a touchdown and showed no effects from his ankle surgery.  He lined up 11 times inline and blocked well; was in the slot for 27 plays and outside once. Looked like the great tight end that he is. -- FC

Week 11: Only 26 days after undergoing tightrope surgery on his ankle, Bowers played in a 53-27 win over Ole Miss. He was in on 49 snaps and caught three passes for 34 yards and a touchdown. Before the injury, Bowers played in every game at Georgia since arriving in 2021, winning the Mackey Award for nation’s top tight end last season and being a key cog in back-to-back national championships. With the help of one bye week, Bowers missed only two and a half games and still leads the team with 44 catches for 601 yards. Some agents told him to skip the season and get get ready for the NFL. "It never crossed my mind,” Bowers said. “I just wanted to always come back with the team and all the guys in the locker room. … I just wanted to come back and try to help the team win." -- FC

Week 10: Georgia 30, Missouri 21. Bowers DNP.

Week 9: Georgia 42, Florida 20. Bowers DNP.

Week 8: Georgia has bye

Week 7: After catching four passes for 22 yards in Georgia's 37-20 win over Vanderbilt on October 14, Bowers injured his ankle when he rushed for four yards, on a play that was called back because quarterback Carson Beck was flagged for holding. On October 16 Bowers underwent "tightrope" surgery. That is the same surgery Tua Tagovailoa underwent twice. At this point, ond of the best tight ends in college football history totalled 41 catches for 567 yards and four touchdowns along with six carries for 28 yards and another score in 2023. For his three season career, Bowers caught 160 passes for 2,391 yards and 24 touchdowns and added 19 rushes for 193 yards and six scores. -- FC

Week 6: Bowers was again special in defending national champ Georgia' most authorative win of the season, a 51-13 drubbing of No. 24 Kentucky. The big TE had seven catches out of nine targets for 132 yards, including a long of 49 yards, and a TD. His only blemish was that he did drop a pass, just his second oopsie of the year. Lost in Bowers' magisterial receiving numbers is the fact he's been solid as a blocker in Georgia's running — his blocking was especially forceful against Kentucky, helping the Dawgs' ground game total 173 yards. 

Week 5: Another big day for the nation's best tight end as Bowers carried No. 1-ranked Georgia to its fifth straight win to start the season, a 27-20 road win at Auburn. Bowers was targeted 12 times, catching eight passes for 157 yards. His one TD catch was a tremendous 29-yard catch and run late in the game that proved to be the margin of victory. When he wasn't stretching the seam, breaking tackles or catching passes one-handed, he was running the ball from the backfield, as he did once, converting a 3rd-and-short with a four-yard run. — JH

Week 4: The big TE had a big receiving today in Georgia's win over UAB. Bowers called all nine passes targeted to him for 127 yards and two TDs. He had a long of 44 yards. Though he did fumble once, Bowers, per usual was a holy terror after the catch, racking up an eye-popping 111 of his receiving yards after the reception — none more impressie than his 41-yard TD where he shed two tacklers near the sideline before taking it the final 15 yards. — JH 

Week 3: Bowers had a busy day in the Bulldogs 24-14 win versus South Carolina. Bowers registered seven catches on nine targets for 54 yards.  He tallied 44 of his receiving yards after the catch. Bowers finished the game second on the team in receiving yards. 

Week 2: Bowers had a quiet day in the Bulldogs' 45-3 stomping of Ball State. The big tight end played 34 snaps, 14 fewer than he did in Week 1, and caught just one catch for three yards. He had one drop in the three times he was targeted. — JH

Week 1: In Georgia's season-opening 48-7 rout of the University of Tennesee at Martin, our top-ranked tight end caught a pass each of the five times he was targeted. Of his 81 receiving yards, 60 came after the catch, showcasing his prowess with the ball in his hands. — JH

Week 0: DNP

HISTORY — from college bio

2022:  Associated Press & Coaches' All-SEC First Team...2022 John Mackey Award Winner...FWAA All-America First Team...finalist for the Rotary Lombardi Award as the nation’s top lineman...semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year...played in all 15 games, starting in 14...logged 63 catches for 942 yards and seven TDs, all team highs...also has 109 rushing yards on just nine carries...three of his rushes this season have gone for TDs, including a 75-yarder vs. Kent State...registered seven catches for 152 yards and a TD in the CFP National Championship Game against TCU...had four catches for 64 yards against Ohio State...scored three TDs in a game for the second time of his career in win at South Carolina...had two receiving TDs (6 and 78 yards) and a rushing TD (5 yards) against the Gamecocks...named SEC Offensive Player of the Week after the SC game...also won SEC OPOW award for his career-high 154 receiving yards in five catches vs. Florida, including a 73-yard TD catch...caught two passes for 38 yards in win over No. 11 Oregon...also had key block that cleared a path for Ladd McConkey to score the Bulldogs’ first TD of 2022 on a 9-yard run...had three catches for 57 yards vs. Samford...first-team Pre-Season All-America selection by Associated Press, the Walter Camp Football Foundation, Athlon Sports and also by Phil Steele...also pre-season first-team All-SEC by media attending SEC Media Days...named to pre-season Watch List for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes annually to the nation’s top receiver at any position, as well as the John Mackey Award, given to the nation’s outstanding collegiate tight end...2022 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America First Team.

2021: 2021 All-America First Team - USA Today, ESPN.com, The Athletic...2021 All-America Second Team - Associated Press...2021 True Freshman All-America - ESPN.com, The Athletic...2021 Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award...2021 Football Writers Association Freshman of the Year Award...2021 Coaches' SEC Freshman of the Year...2021 AP SEC Newcomer of the Year...AP and Coaches’ All-SEC First Team...Finished the season as Georgia’s leading receiver, with 56 catches for 882 yards (15.8 avg.) and 13 TDs...started at tight end in 13 of 15 games...was targeted 81 times, with 56 catches...established UGA tight end records for single-season receptions (56), receiving yards (882) and TDs (13)...his 13 TD catches are also a single-season UGA record by any pass catcher...caught a career-high and SEC Championship Game record (for a TE) 10 passes vs. Alabama...had four games of 100+ yards receiving: UAB, UK, GT, ALA1...twice was named SEC Freshman of the Week:  vs. Vanderbilt and Kentucky...caught five passes for 101 yards and two TDs vs. UK...named the John Mackey Award Tight End of the Week for his efforts against the Wildcats...caught a team-high six passes (eight targets) for 43 yards against Clemson...Caught career-long 89-yard TD pass vs. UAB, tying for the sixth-longest scoring pass in UGA history...had a 77-yard TD catch and run vs. Georgia Tech, one of his two scores on the day...also had a 12-yard rushing TD against Vanderbilt...has two additional rushes this season, a 24-yarder vs. Tennessee and a 19-yarder vs. Charleston Southern...had two catches for 43 yards in win at #18 Auburn, including a 33-yarder...caught just one pass vs. Florida, but it went for 38 yards...enrolled in January 2021 and participated in spring drills...caught three passes, including a 25-yarder, in the annual G-Day intrasquad game.

High School: Napa High School, coached by Richie Wessman…selected to the 2021 All-American Bowl…247sports.com composite four-star prospect…ranked as the #3 tight end prospect, #10 prospect in California, and #102 prospect nationally…PrepStar Magazine four-star prospect, Top 150 Dream Team…ranked as the #6 TE prospect, #13 prospect in California, and #107 prospect nationally…rivals.com four-star prospect…ranked as the #8 TE prospect, #12 prospect in California, and #118 prospect nationally…ESPN.com four-star prospect…ranked as the #4 TE prospect, #21 prospect in California, and #212 prospect nationally…helped lead Napa HS to a 7-4 record in his 2019 junior season, advancing to the CIF North Coast Division II Sectional Playoffs…played for Grizzlies at tight end, running back, wide receiver, linebacker, and kick returner…finished season with 1,499 all-purpose yards and 18 total touchdowns, including 39 receptions for 1,098 receiving yards and school-record 14 touchdowns, as well as 22 carries for 316 rushing yards and three touchdowns…finished fifth on team in tackles with 25, in addition to an 85-yard kickoff return touchdown…named to 2019 San Francisco Chronicle All-Metro First Team offense…named 2019 Napa Valley Register All-Napa County Football Player of the Year…named 2019 Vine Valley Athletic League Most Valuable Player…named to 2020 MaxPreps Preseason All-America First Team offense…named to 2020 MaxPreps Preseason California All-State First Team offense…finished 2018 junior season with 42 receptions for 620 receiving yards and seven touchdowns…also played power forward for Grizzlies’ basketball team.

PERSONAL

Full name is BROCK ALLEN BOWERS...Major: Finance...recipient of the Jack and Joy Davis Football Scholarship...parents Warren and DeAnna Bowers were student-athletes at Utah State...DeAnna was an All-America softball player who is in the Aggies' Hall of Fame; Warren was a two-time All-Big West center for the USU football program…sister Brianna plays on Sacramento State softball team.

2022

rushing
YPC	TD	YDS	CAR	LONG
12.1	3.0	109.0	9.0	75.0

receiving
REC	YPR	TD	LONG	YDS
63.0	15.0	7.0	78.0	942.0

2021

rushing
YPC	TD	YDS	CAR	LONG
14.0	1.0	56.0	4.0	24.0

receiving
REC	YPR	TD	LONG	YDS
56.0	15.8	13.0	89.0	882.0

defensive
TFL	QB HUR	TOT	TD	PD	SACKS	SOLO
0.0	0.0	2.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.0