TE Prospect Comparison 2017-2024
Entry posted by Alec Smith in PFF Grades and Analysis ·
Since I have seen an increase in buzz surrounding Brock Bowers as a draft prospect, I wanted to look a little deeper into some of the top TE prospects since 2017. Keep in mind that some of these guys did not end up being the best pros from their class, but rather these are the guys that were regarded as the best prospects going into their respective drafts. All stats listed are for their entire college careers and all PFF data is representative of their last season in college before being drafted.
Overview
|
Name |
Draft Class |
College |
Draft Position |
Size |
|
O.J. Howard |
2017 |
Alabama |
1.19 |
6’6” – 251 |
|
Mike Gesicki |
2018 |
Penn State |
2.42 |
6’6” – 247 |
|
T.J. Hockenson |
2019 |
Iowa |
1.8 |
6’5” – 251 |
|
Cole Kmet |
2020 |
Notre Dame |
2.43 |
6’6” – 262 |
|
Kyle Pitts |
2021 |
Florida |
1.4 |
6’6” – 245 |
|
Trey McBride |
2022 |
Colorado State |
2.55 |
6’4” – 246 |
|
Michael Mayer |
2023 |
Notre Dame |
2.36 |
6’4.5” – 249 |
|
Brock Bowers |
2024 |
Georgia |
N/A |
6’4” – 230 |
Bowers is a little undersized when compared to the others; however, he is also not a traditional TE prospect in terms of lining up with a hand in the dirt. I am a big fan of labeling Bowers as an “offensive player” rather than a TE. Out of Brock’s 851 snaps on offense in 2022, he lined up inline 335 times, in the slot 410 times, and out wide 85 times. I would not expect his size to play a huge factor in his draft position.
Career Stats
|
Name |
Rec. Yards |
TD’s |
YPC |
Games Played |
|
O.J. Howard |
1,726 |
7 |
15.1 |
46 |
|
Mike Gesicki |
1,481 |
15 |
11.5 |
45 |
|
T.J. Hockenson |
1,080 |
9 |
14.8 |
23 |
|
Cole Kmet |
691 |
6 |
11.5 |
23 |
|
Kyle Pitts |
1,492 |
18 |
14.9 |
24 |
|
Trey McBride |
2,100 |
10 |
12.8 |
40 |
|
Michael Mayer |
2,099 |
18 |
11.7 |
36 |
|
Brock Bowers |
1,824 |
20 |
15.3 |
29 |
Statistically, Brock has the opportunity to be more productive than any of the above in college. I did not include rushing stats because most of the other prospects do not have comparable numbers. Kyle Pitts is the closest in terms of being labeled an offensive weapon that will take jet sweeps and screens like Bowers does.
PFF Grades
|
Name |
Off. Grade |
Rec. Grade |
RBLK Grade |
Total Snaps |
|
O.J. Howard |
78.8 |
69.1 |
82.9 |
811 |
|
Mike Gesicki |
75.2 |
77.3 |
59.2 |
724 |
|
T.J. Hockenson |
90.0 |
90.8 |
74.9 |
788 |
|
Cole Kmet |
69.4 |
73.4 |
56.9 |
707 |
|
Kyle Pitts |
96.0 |
96.1 |
63.9 |
409 |
|
Trey McBride |
94.8 |
95.0 |
69.3 |
846 |
|
Michael Mayer |
92.5 |
91.6 |
82.1 |
748 |
|
Brock Bowers |
90.0 |
90.0 |
73.8 |
851 |
First note, Trey McBride had the quietest elite season in 2022 at Colorado State. We haven’t seen that fully transition to NFL success, but I guarantee that no one expected him to have the 2nd highest grades from a TE since 2017. You can also see how O.J. Howard was able to overshadow his lack of receiving production in college with top tier blocking and use that to turn himself into a 1st rounder. Bowers is the only prospect out of this group that has a 90+ grade in each season in college. If he simply replicates his past two seasons, Brock will end up alone at the mountain top of college TE’s in the last decade.
Combine Data
|
Name |
40 Time |
Vertical |
Arm Length |
Hand Size |
|
O.J. Howard |
4.51 |
30” |
33 ¾” |
10” |
|
Mike Gesicki |
4.54 |
41.5” |
34 1/8” |
10 ¼” |
|
T.J. Hockenson |
4.70 |
37.5” |
32 ¼” |
9 ½” |
|
Cole Kmet |
4.70 |
37” |
33” |
10 ½” |
|
Kyle Pitts |
4.44 |
33.5” |
33 ½” |
10 5/8” |
|
Trey McBride |
4.54 |
33” |
32 ½” |
10 1/8” |
|
Michael Mayer |
4.70 |
32.5” |
31 5/8” |
9 ½” |
|
Brock Bowers* |
4.48 |
41.5” |
N/A |
N/A |
*- Bowers is the only one that has not yet been to the NFL Combine, but his 40 time and vertical are based off numbers that he posted as a high school recruit.
When the 2024 NFL Combine comes around, I expect Brock to push closer to a 4.45 in the 40. Brock’s game speed is the best that I have seen from a TE in my entire life, and I would expect him to have a Nolan Smith type of performance in Indianapolis at the combine.
Do not get me wrong, every draft prospect in the history of the sport has flaws. Brock can improve in beating press coverage while lined up out wide, and he will likely have to put on some weight to perform traditional TE roles in the NFL. Minor flaws aside, Bowers is already being put in the same category of generational prospects with the likes of Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. I will be extremely surprised if Brock Bowers makes it past the first ten picks in May of 2024.
Edited by Alec Smith
*Edited so text shows up better in night mode
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