Should the Tennessee Titans draft Brock Bowers in the 2024 NFL Draft?
By Will Lomas
For years I have preached that the Tennessee Titans should only focus on premium positions with their first-round picks, and the vast majority of people agree.
However, Brock Bowers is bucking the trend and some fans are convinced that he is the answer to the Tennessee Titans problems. Not only that, but Bowers went on record saying that more than any other team, he wants to be drafted by the Titans.
The argument for Bowers is pretty simple. Since Bowers stepped onto the field as a freshman he has been the best tight end in the NFL, and it has been plain to see for anyone who has watched the Georgia Bulldogs.
Tight ends are unique because they can improve a team's blocking and they can make an impact as a receiver. Since the Tennessee Titans need help at offensive tackle and wide receiver, drafting an elite tight end should help both issues, right?
Should Brock Bowers be a top-7 player on the Tennessee Titans big board
Not really. It sounds great in theory, but that hasn't been the case in the last 10 years.
In the last decade there have been three "elite, can't-miss" tight ends drafted in the top-10: Kyle Pitts, T.J. Hockenson, Eric Ebron.
On one hand, Pitts and Hockenson have had their moments, but the Atlanta Falcons drafted a receiver in the first round the next season and the Detroit Lions had to draft an offensive tackle in the first round two years later.
My point is, if the Titans have a tackle problem then drafting Brock Bowers might help mask the problem, but Ran Carthon is still going to have to find someone to play left tackle next season. If they aren't good, then Brock Bowers will have his role reduced to being a glorified blocker until the Titans fix the issue.
Similarly, let's say that Brock Bowers is the best receiving tight end in the NFL next year. That is great, but that would have put him behind 23 wide receivers this season including guys like George Pickens and Chris Godwin. If Bowers is a team's leading receiver next year, then it is probably safe to say that team didn't have a very good passing offense.
So even in the best case scenario, you aren't getting a game changing talent.
In this draft, the Tennessee Titans are guaranteed to have one of their seven best players fall into their lap in the first round. On top of that, it certainly looks like QBs will go 1-2-3 to start the draft off, which means that the Titans will get one of the four best non-QBs in the first round.
I don't see any way where those top four aren't Marvin Harrison Jr., Joe Alt, Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, or Olu Fashanu when you factor in the positions that they play.
At the end of the day, you have to trust your board and take the best player available, and even though drafting a tight end sounds great on paper, the Titans have a rare chance to bring in a blue-chip player, at a premium position, that is also a position of need.
Without a trade down, drafting Brock Bowers in the first round would be a bad idea for the Tennessee Titans.