Bears Line Up Visit With Elite Pass-Catcher, Potential No. 9 Pick

Getty Former Georgia tight end Brock Bowers.

The Chicago Bears are taking a closer look at a potential wild-card option for them with their No. 9 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

According to Sportskeeda insider Tony Pauline, the Bears have “lined up” a top-3o visit with Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. He is the first 2024 tight end prospect with a reported pre-draft visit on the books with Chicago and is a potential top-10 selection.

Bowers is one of the most prolific pass-catchers in the 2024 class after playing a high-volume role in the Bulldogs offense over the past three seasons and showcasing his elite playmaking ability with the ball in his hands. The 21-year-old caught 175 of his 224 targets and put up 2,541 yards and 31 touchdowns in 40 career games at Georgia.

A “top-30 visit” refers to the allotted 30 players NFL teams are allowed to host at their facilities throughout the pre-draft process. The visits provide more intimate settings for teams to evaluate prospects of intrigue and can include anything from sit-downs with key members of the franchise to physical and medical testing that contribute to a team’s complete evaluation of a given prospect.

According to reports, the Bears have also either conducted or scheduled top-30 visits with the following 2024 prospects: quarterback Caleb Williams, edge rusher Dallas Turner, wide receiver Xavier Worthy and offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie.

Brock Bowers Operated Outside Mold of Typical TE

Bowers won the John Mackey Award (given to college football’s best tight end) in back-to-back seasons to close out his career at Georgia, but it would be unfair to his dynamic, multi-positional skill set to box him in as a traditional tight end prospect.

Bowers played more snaps in the slot (567) than as an in-line tight end (397) in college and also received touches as an H-back. While his 6-foot-3, 243-pound build is a little smaller than the average tight end, it did not limit his physicality, which became one of the hallmarks of his game as he ripped through SEC defenders.

Bowers also flies out of the slot — or wherever he lines up — with outstanding first-step quickness and rapid acceleration that makes him a difficult matchup. His great after-the-catch ability, as NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein noted, is his “secret sauce.”

“Bowers is an explosive athlete but lacks the premium measurables typically associated with early first-rounders,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft profile of Bowers. “It might take a year for him to acclimate to defenders who are bigger, faster and longer, but he appears destined to become a highly productive NFL player with Pro Bowl upside.”

Do Bears Need Another Tight End for 2024 Roster?

Bowers is one of the most intriguing offensive playmakers in the 2024 draft class and is already getting some buzz as a prospect who can help evolve the tight end position at the NFL level, due to his atypical skill set. Is another tight end something the Bears need, though, with starter Cole Kmet and newly added Gerald Everett under contract?

It depends on how the Bears view Bowers.

As a traditional tight end, Bowers could be viewed as a bit of a redundancy for Chicago. They just signed Kmet to a $50 million contract last July that keeps him tied to the team through the 2027 season. They also jumped at the opportunity to add a quality No. 2 tight end alongside him in free agency, signing Everett for two seasons. Even with a new and creative offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron, it could prove difficult for the Bears to manufacture the touches necessary to justify the selection.

Then again, if Waldron and the Bears believe Bowers can work more often as a slot receiver in their offense, the pick could make sense. The Bears have both DJ Moore and Keenan Allen on the perimeter now, which could free up mismatch opportunities for someone like Bowers in the slot. Chicago also lacks compelling No. 3 receiver options with the development of 2023 fourth-rounder Tyler Scott their current best hope.

The Bears likely have larger needs that will demand their attention at No. 9 overall. They still need a No. 2 edge rusher opposite Montez Sweat. Nevertheless, Bowers is worth a closer look even if it only helps the Bears refine their draft board.