It can be hard to predict where tight ends get taken in the NFL Draft. In recent seasons, we have seen top-tier players at the tight end position going rather early, as NFL offenses evolve along with the position itself. For the 2024 NFL Draft, we know Brock Bowers will be a first-round pick at tight end, and he should be a solid fantasy football performer, depending on where he ends up.
Valuing a Tight End in the NFL Draft
NFL general managers value having a good tight end on their roster. But like running backs, their value on the open market does not pay as much as a receiver, pass rusher, or offensive tackle. The salary of a first-round draft pick is predetermined in the NFL Draft no matter what position the athlete plays. One benefit of having a player on a rookie contract is that it gives you 4-5 years of an impact player that does not have a high salary cap hit – assuming the player ends up being good.
The average base salary of the five highest-paid tight ends in 2024 is $11.2M. If the Los Angeles Chargers select Georgia TE Brock Bowers fifth overall, they won’t get the same “cheap” positional value as they would if they selected a higher-valued position. If Bowers is a top 8-10 tight end in the league, his contract extension after five years would be close to what he was making on his rookie contract. That’s why it can be tricky when predicting where tight ends and running backs will get drafted – it just depends on what the general manager values.
Salary cap issues aside, let’s talk about Georgia TE Brock Bowers. He has been portrayed as an NFL prospect since his immediate impact as a freshman at Georgia. He put up great stats over his three years in college, scoring a total of 31 touchdowns. Standing at 6-4, 240lbs, he has the height and build of a pass-catching tight end that can produce immediately. It’s realistic that he could be selected by the Chargers, Jets, Seahawks or Bengals, but it’s the New York Jets who is the best Brock Bowers fantasy football fit.
Jets Are the Best Brock Bowers Fantasy Football Fit
The Jets have an obvious need on their offensive line, as they had Zach Wilson running for his life all of last season. So, everyone expects them to draft a tackle, right? Even though they have drafted pretty well over the past few seasons, you never quite know what to expect when Jets owner Woody Johnson is still running the show.
Joe Douglas, the team’s general manager, has done a solid job at drafting for the most part, hitting on stars like Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner and Breece Hall in the draft. In the NFL, general managers usually keep their jobs when they can find a franchise quarterback, but Joe Douglas drafted Zach Wilson. So, it’s safe to say that both his and Robert Saleh’s jobs are on the line if the team is unable to reach the playoffs in 2024.
After headlining last offseason by trading for Aaron Rodgers, the Jets are desperate to find players that can fit into the offense and produce immediately. Brock Bowers is the perfect player for this situation as many view him as a generational prospect at tight end. The idea of Rodgers and Wilson becoming a top-five QB-WR duo is what I was most excited to watch last season before Rodgers tore his Achilles in the team’s first game of the season. Imagine an offense where the four-time NFL MVP is surrounded by Wilson, Hall and Bowers — a star player at all three offensive skill positions.
Bowers would draw lots of targets from Rodgers in the play-action passing game after they establish the running game with Hall. Bowers and Wilson should complement each other nicely in the passing game resulting in a high-powered offense through the air. I believe that the Jets will select Bowers if he falls to No. 10. This draft is viewed by many as one of the best offensive line draft classes we have ever seen. So, there should be OL value all throughout the draft that the Jets can select. They need something to get the fan base excited and should be able to find offensive line help in rounds 2-7.
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