ESPN report reflects Bowers as first rookie to be named best at position in annual poll
ATHENS — Brock Bowers has already cemented his place as the greatest Georgia player of the Kirby Smart Era, and he’s already working toward a gold NFL Hall of Fame jacket.
Bowers proved the most impactful rookie tight end in NFL history last season as the best player at his position according to an ESPN survey of coaches, scouts and league executives
Bowers came up No. 1 at tight end ahead of perennial stars and future NFL Hall of Famers George Kittle and Travis Kelce.
“Bowers makes history in our Top 10 poll — he’s the first player to rank No. 1 at his position after his rookie year,” the ESPN.com story noted, having shared this is the sixth edition of its league-wide vote on top position players.
Bowers, ESPN revealed, earned more than 50 percent of the first-place vote after setting rookie records for:
• Most receiving yards by a rookie tight end or receiver in NFL history (1,194),
• most receptions by a rookie at any position (112)
• most receptions by any player in a single season in Raiders franchise history.
NFL scouts told ESPN that Bowers was the highest-graded overall player in the 2024 draft, but because of the position he played and a deep quarterback class, he was selected lower, at No. 13 overall.
Opponents and insightful Georgia fans recognized Bowers was the offensive catalyst of the Bulldogs’ back-to-back title runs, a nightmare matchup who former offensive coordinator Todd Monken lined up all over the field.
None other than former Alabama coach Nick Saban publicly praised and privately moaned about Bowers’ abilities.
“I think this guy is one of the premier players in college football,” Saban said of Bowers leading into the 2022 CFP Championship Game after the UGA tight end had 10 catches for 139 yards and a TD in the teams’ SEC title game matchup earlier that season.
“I know he’s just a freshman. But this guy’s got great size. He’s a good blocker. He’s physical. He’s tough. And he’s got wide receiver skills in every way, shape or form, which makes it difficult being a bigger guy for bigger guys to cover him and it makes it also difficult for smaller guys to cover him.
“So this guy is just a phenomenal football player all the way around.”
Former Alabama offensive coordinator and current N.Y. Giants head coach Brian Daboll recalled a conversation he had with Saban during a “Hard Knocks” episode when the legendary coach referred to Bowers as a “(F-word expletive) problem.’ “
Bowers was a solution for Georgia early in the NIL era, passing up collective money so it could go to teammates who might have otherwise transferred out to make money elsewhere.
RELATED: Bowers forgoes collective money, passes on hundreds of thousands of dollars
Bowers, who was also the only two-time John Mackey Award (best tight end) winner in history, was also an FWAA Freshman of the Year and consensus All-American, contributing heavily each season:
• 2023: 56 catches, 714 yards, 6 TDs
• 2022: 63 catches, 842 yards, 7 TDs
• 2021: 56 catches, 882 yards, 13 TDs
RELATED: Brock Bowers, Herschel Walker shorted on ESPN Freshman all-time list
Bowers turned professional after his junior season, but he returned to Georgia to finish his degree after his rookie year in the NFL, a family member explaining to DawgNation that, “He is too competitive to be the only one (in his family) without a degree.”
Indeed, Bowers once admitted Smart was a master of motivating him in practice, recalling how he would call him out on the loud microphone the head coach carries around.
Smart confirmed, recalling how he called out Bowers one day when 2025 NFL first-round pick Malaki Starks was having a good practice against him.
RELATED: Kirby Smart shares hilarious Brock Bowers story
“There was a couple of practices where Malaki Starks covered him really well and made plays, and we got to kidding Brock that we finally found someone who could cover him, No. 24 this freshman out there, and he did not like that,” Smart said.
“You could just see it, he was itching and he couldn’t quit moving and twitching, and the next day he caught like six balls on him and made sure he showed everyone that he could beat the freshman.”
Bowers, now a bonafide star, has stayed as humble as ever.
Bowers showed respect to Kittle and Kelce in a recent ESPN SportsCenter interview conducted when he attended “Tight End University,” an annual three-day training camp and summit for NFL tight ends held in Nashville.
“I think being in the meetings and getting to learn from Kittle, Kelce and all of those guys, Evan Engram, it’s been amazing listening to them and talking about different parts of their game and trying to transition that into my game, and hopefully that will show up this year on the field.”
