Raiders select Georgia TE Brock Bowers with No. 13 pick in 2024 NFL Draft

Bowers makes the leap to the NFL after a splendid faculty profession wherein he displayed each potential and toughness, standing out as Georgia’s finest pass-catcher, in addition to arguably the highest participant in faculty soccer. After successful the John Mackey Award because the nation’s high tight finish with a career-best 942 yards to go together with seven touchdowns in 2022, Bowers closed his profession in Athens with one other sturdy season that noticed him log 56 catches for 714 yards and 6 touchdowns, numbers that pale barely compared to his earlier seasons — that’s, till one considers what Bowers overcame to even make it on the sector.

Bowers suffered an ankle damage that price him 4 video games and required tightrope surgical procedure to have an opportunity to return earlier than the yr was over. As an alternative of packing it in and making ready for his anticipated first-round choice, Bowers elected to endure the operation with one aim: Get again on the sector in time to chase one other nationwide title.

The Bulldogs finally fell painfully wanting the Faculty Soccer Playoff, dropping to Alabama within the SEC title recreation. However Bowers overcame vital adversity simply to have a possibility to play within the Bulldogs’ remaining recreation earlier than bowl season, additional impressing scouts who have been already salivating over his potential on the NFL stage.

Bowers brings with him an array of expertise and awards, incomes All-American honors in 2021 (second group), 2022 and 2023. He repeated as a Mackey Award winner in 2023, earned his third straight first-team All-SEC choice and even turned a finalist for the Lombardi Award, given to the nation’s high offensive/defensive lineman, regardless of taking part in tight finish. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein in contrast him to San Francisco star George Kittle in his draft evaluation abstract, giving followers an instance of simply how excessive expectations are for the Georgia star.

With the likes of Kittle, Travis Kelce and a handful of others creating matchup nightmares for opposing defenses and opening up offenses throughout the NFL, tight finish has by no means been extra coveted. The Raiders underscored that fact by stockpiling their offense with two pass-catchers on the place.

With six quarterbacks coming off the board earlier than the Raiders’ choose at No. 13, Vegas plows ahead with veteran Gardner Minshew and second-year signal-caller Aidan O’Connell battling for the beginning duties. Whoever wins that battle is in an important place with loads of surrounding weapons.