Bowers makes the leap to the NFL after a splendid school profession wherein he displayed each potential and toughness, standing out as Georgia’s finest pass-catcher, in addition to arguably the highest participant in school soccer. After successful the John Mackey Award because the nation’s prime tight finish with a career-best 942 yards to associate 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 sphere.
Bowers suffered an ankle harm that price him 4 video games and required tightrope surgical procedure to have an opportunity to return earlier than the 12 months was over. As an alternative of packing it in and getting ready for his anticipated first-round choice, Bowers elected to bear the operation with one aim: Get again on the sphere in time to chase one other nationwide title.
The Bulldogs in the end fell painfully wanting the School Soccer Playoff, dropping to Alabama within the SEC title recreation. However Bowers overcame important adversity simply to have a chance to play within the Bulldogs’ last recreation earlier than bowl season, additional impressing scouts who had been already salivating over his potential on the NFL stage.
Bowers brings with him an array of abilities and awards, incomes All-American honors in 2021 (second workforce), 2022 and 2023. He repeated as a Mackey Award winner in 2023, earned his third straight first-team All-SEC choice and even grew to become a finalist for the Lombardi Award, given to the nation’s prime offensive/defensive lineman, regardless of enjoying 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’ decide 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.