Broncos HC Sean Payton is a 'Big Fan' of Georgia TE Brock Bowers & This Explains Why

Don't be shocked if the Denver Broncos end up with the enigmatic but talented Georgia tight end.

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers (19) warms up before the start of a NCAA college football game / Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

We've reached NFL draft week, and the rumors surrounding which direction the Denver Broncos will go with their first-round pick are aplenty. Holding the No. 12 overall selection, it'll be Denver's first round-one pick since taking cornerback Patrick Surtain II in 2021.

While quarterback is obviously the most interesting and dire position for the team, the Broncos may not be in the position to draft the signal-caller they want sitting in the middle of the first round. If not quarterback, what player could Denver be targeting?

One prospect with continual linkage to Denver over the past month has been Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers has been one of the most dynamic playmakers in football over his past three seasons in Athens, Georgia.

Despite playing a devalued position and lacking validated testing numbers (he did not test at the NFL Combine or Georgi's pro day), the smaller tight end’s college tape is good enough that some team will take a shot on him in the first half of Round 1.

On a recent podcast from The Athletic Football Show with Robert Mays, Nate Tice, and Dane Brugler, the trio discussed top wide receivers in the 2024 class but included Bowers in the group because of his talent level and the hybrid nature of his size, athleticism, and usage at Georgia.

The group discussed where it would like to see Bowers land, floating teams like the Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, and Cincinnati Bengals, as well as the Chicago Bears and New York Jets in the Top 10. However, the Broncos are also a team that would make a lot of sense considering Sean Payton’s history, as well as the team's need for difference-makers, and just how many holes it has on paper.

So why is Bowers not a fit for everyone? While he did measure in at 243 pounds at the Combine, many believe he played closer to 230 to 235 at Georgia, which would put him as one of the smallest tight ends in football. Without testing to verify and validate athleticism, of importance for tight ends, he has some blanks on his report card for teams compiling their grades.

Is Bowers even a tight end, though? Or is he something more? Is that versatility or flexibility a good thing or does it convolute his projection?

“It's the term ‘offensive weapon’... that’s what he is. He legitimately can line up on the outside, can win in the slot, and can beat defensive backs one-on-one. It unlocks so much for him and so much potential for where he can align. There are a lot of comparisons between him and Kyle Pitts because he was the last highly drafted tight end. They are different animals… they win in different ways and align in different ways. Pitts is an X receiver/tight end. Bowers is a slot adjuster/tight end. 44.7% of Bowers' snaps were from the tight end alignment, ranking 168/191 qualifying tight ends. He’s barely lined up as a 'tight end' and is more of a true pass catcher," Tice said on the show.

The former NFL head coach wasn't done talking Bowers.

"I do have a little hesitation with him (about being situation and scheme-proof)... Is he a generational guy? No, because I do have qualms about where he can land. He’s a decent blocker. He’s not great but He can scrap and he can do enough. You are not going to run him at the point of attack but he’s not a negative. Think of him as a jumbo slot that has explosive play ability and is a good route runner and can do other things as well," Tice said of Bowers.

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While Bowers can fit in so many roles, the fact that he isn’t a clean size and usage fit at tight end makes him unique. Due to this, Brugler emphasized the importance of the Georgia product landing in the right place.

“[Bowers'] versatility is a plus but not super clean, and that’s why it’s so important that he lands with a play caller that knows how to use him. He’s just not going to be a fit for everybody," Brugler said.

So, what team could Bowers be an excellent fit for? How about a team like Payton's Broncos? Denver got very little output from its tight ends last year despite wanting to utilize more heavy sets and middle-of-the-field passing concepts.

“(The Broncos) want to get more explosive on offense. The Broncos used fewer tight end related plays last year than anybody else but I think that was more personnel related than anything. Philosophically with Sean Payton he was the offensive coordinator for the Giants with Jeremy Shockey’s awesome rookie year," Brugler said.

Further, as Mays points out, Payton has also used middle-of-the-field hybrid types such as Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston in the past to great success.

“I would not be the least bit surprised if the Broncos took (Bowers)... One reason I think it makes sense for Denver is because they are starting from scratch. Saying that’s the best player left in the draft we are taking that guy. And stylistic overlap between players Payton has used in the past. I think there a lot of different boxes (Bowers to Denver) checks," Mays said.

According to the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson, Payton is a "big fan" of Bowers. However, there is an inherent risk in selecting Bowers given his outlier size, lack of pre-draft testing data, the historic return on investment on first-round tight ends, and the opportunity cost lost by taking a player at the position in Round 1 when Denver is desperately missing talent, depth, and youth at positions that historically require a first-round investment to find quality starters such as quarterback, offensive tackle, and pass rusher.

Good players in their prime at these positions simply do not become available in free agency, and a vast majority of the good players in the league at this spot are former first-round selections, more so than any other position on the football field. Bypassing one of those positions in Round 1 likely means you will be looking for good players there in the next draft cycle.

However, if the Broncos view Bowers as a potential perennial All-Pro talent with Hall-of-Fame ability, then the potential negatives and questions will be and should be diminished. In the end, the Broncos need to find and acquire difference-makers. And with Payton designing the offense, Bowers could be just that.

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