Brock Bowers — NFL Mock Draft Roundup 2.0

Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Brock Bowers?! As long as Joe Burrow stays healthy, he'd be in for a massive season.

GM Joe Douglas had a throwaway line the other day about the Jets having fixed the offensive line, and while I don't think he meant that as a finality, I also won't be shocked if they don't take one here after adding three OL vets in free agency. New York might not need a tight end (who might be a juiced-up version of Jeremy Ruckert), but Bowers strikes me as a Douglas kind of guy, one who could give Aaron Rodgers some intriguing 12-personnel possibilities.

TRADE: The Vikings send the no. 11 pick, the no. 23 pick, the no. 108 pick, and a 2025 first-rounder to the Patriots for the no. 3 pick.

The second of the two 2024 first-rounders that New England nabbed by trading the no. 3 pick, the Patriots grab a blue-chip talent all the way down here at no. 23. Bowers falls due to playing a non-premium position, but he’s a twitchy playmaker nonetheless, and immediately provides a boost to a talent-deficient group of skill players for this team. Expect a lot of two-tight-end sets with Bowers and Hunter Henry.

The Jets have to go for it now, and that means finding more playmakers for QB Aaron Rodgers. The best tight end in the draft gets the call.

They don't get a lot out of the position, so taking Brock Bowers would make sense. They could also look to get help for their offensive line.

If it were me, I'd be going offensive tackle or wideout here. But after the Jets acquired offensive tackles Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses and wide receiver Mike Williams, it feels like they are all-in on winning this season with Aaron Rodgers returning from a torn Achilles. That means going with the biggest impact player at No. 10, and Bowers fits. He can operate from the slot and be Rodgers' safety valve and hot-route artist. Bowers played 40 games over three years in college, caught 26 touchdowns and had only eight drops. He missed some time during the 2023 season with an ankle injury, but he is a top-five player in the class in terms of NFL readiness and expected impact.

Could you imagine a personnel grouping of Bowers, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert with a healthy Jalen Hurts under center? Bowers had 2,538 receiving yards and 26 receiving TDs over three seasons, and he would give coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore matchup advantages. He has to improve his blocking, but I believe that will happen in time. I also thought about a defensive back here -- Philly's back seven remains a concern even with the additions of Devin White and C.J. Gardner-Johnson -- but Bowers is just too good to skip over this late in Round 1.

Offensive tackle is the (big) easy decision, considering Trevor Penning's struggles. Having Bowers, Brugler's fifth-ranked prospect, on the board changes the equation for an offense that lacks difference-making pass catchers beyond Chris Olave.