Brock Bowers has some Travis Kelce in him but one underrated quality means he’s more comparable to this NFL Pro Bowl tight end

Brock Bowers is the tight end on everyone’s lips in the 2024 class.

The former Georgia Bulldogs star is the consensus top tight end in the upcoming NFL Draft and a projected top-ten overall pick.

His speed and ability to catch the ball make him an explosive offensive weapon and one of the most attractive prospects at any position in this year’s draft.

Bowers’ qualities have even drawn comparisons to those of larger-than-life Chiefs TE Travis Kelce – a three-time Super Bowl winner and one of the best to ever do it.

But according to NFL Draft insider Matt Miller, Bowers looks a lot more like 49ers tight end George Kittle, who went second to Kelce in February’s Big Game.

“On the field, there are,” Miller said of the similarities between Bowers and Kelce.

“He’s (Bowers) a little bit smaller. I think that’s something that’s overlooked. Travis is 6-5 and his weight has changed throughout his career, he’s lost weight.

“Brock Bowers was just 6-1, just over 240 pounds. He’s actually a little undersized for his position.

“I think if you had to make a comparison as a player, it would be George Kittle. Someone who almost functions like a slot receiver at times, gives you great run power after catch.

“He’s (Bowers) probably a 4.6 to 4.7 guy (in the 40-yard dash), which is good, really good. But he’s not this transcendent athlete.

“He’s just a really, really good football player.”

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Kittle, 30, made five Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams after entering the league in 2017 as a fifth-round pick out of Iowa.

Since then, he has established himself as one of the most unguardable receivers in the NFL as well as the leading blocker at the position today.

He and Kelce, co-founder of “Tight End University,” are the two best tight ends in the league, but Kittle has separated himself with his elite run-blocking game.

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end routinely blocks the NFL’s top edge rushers and, according to PFF, has the best run-blocking grade among tight ends over the past decade.

Bowers’ emergence as an exceptional run blocker means his game is more akin to Kittle’s than Kelce’s.

“He’s a bulldog who attacks on the edge and can block in-line,” an NFL Network analyst said of Bowers.

“As a blocker, he might be the strongest pound-for-pound tight end you can find,” PFF’s scouting report read.

“Add his reliable blocking ability on the line and in space, and you have an ultimate offensive weapon with All-Pro potential.”

No one doubts Bowers’ potential — tight ends with dual-threat ability don’t come along often.

But his draft stock could be affected by the lack of emphasis teams often place on the tight end position.

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QBs and wide receivers have always received the most attention in the NFL and in college.

Tight ends tend to be overlooked, but players like Kelce, Kittle and New England Patriots legend Rob Gronkowski have demonstrated over the past decade the enormous benefit of having a dominant TE who breaks tackles and accumulates yards after the catch.

Yet first-round tight ends are rare — since 2014, only eight tight ends have been selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

They’ve had mixed success in the pros, but Kelce and Kittle are exceptions to the rule and prove that the right combination of talent and environment can be a game-changer for a franchise.

And Bowers is already ahead of both coming out of college.

The 21-year-old is touted as one of the best TEs in college football history, while Kelce and Kittle were just the No. 63 and No. 42 picks in the 2013 and 2017 drafts, respectively.

“The two guys we’re talking about were drafted in the third and fifth rounds respectively, and now we’re talking about Bowers being selected in the top 15,” Miller added.

“It shows how much more important that type of player has become at tight end.”

Bowers finds himself in a draft class filled with talented quarterbacks, including Caleb Williams, JJ McCarthy, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels.

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This may well affect his draft, but there’s no denying that his resume matches that of most players in this year’s class.

The talented pass catcher is a three-time All American (unanimous in 2023) and a two-time national champion after helping Georgia win back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022.

The 21-year-old led the Bulldogs in receptions (56), receiving yards (714) and touchdowns (6) last season and is the only player in history to win the John Mackey Award – given to best tight end player in the country. end – twice since the prize was established in 2000.

Bowers also holds the UGA school record for receiving touchdowns in a single season with thirteen, and his 173 receptions for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns are all SEC records for a tight end.

At 34 and 30 respectively, the careers of Kelce and Kittle are against the clock.

One is looking for a fourth world championship trophy and GOAT status while the other is looking for his first Super Bowl ring.

Bowers, meanwhile, represents the new generation of tight ends who will dominate the NFL over the next decade, following in the giant footsteps of No. 87 and No. 85.