According to a recent 2024 NFL mock draft by NFL Media Analyst Daniel Jeremiah, the Indianapolis Colts were listed as the favorite to select Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers is considered the best tight end in college football. He is listed at 6 foot, 4 inches and weighs 240 pounds. In 10 starts, he had 56 receptions for 714 yards and earned All-American First Team Honors. The Colts do not have any tight ends with this caliber of a resume and even though they have young talent at receiver, having this type of player would be huge. Coupling the capabilities of Bowers with the capabilities of Anthony Richardson will provide a huge explosive threat for this offense. The question moving towards the draft, though, is if Chris Ballard is thinking receiver with his first pick.
There are Two Questions that the Colts Must Ask
Is it Worth Adding Another Tight End in the First Round?
The first round of the draft is reserved for players that are at the top of their position and those top players end up going to teams that are in dire need of that kind of skill. The Colts are not in dire need of a top-tier tight end, so it was interesting when this mock draft had Bowers listed for the Colts. They would certainly benefit from the talent of Brock Bowers, but is this type of selection realistic?
The Colts had four different tight ends last year that saw considerable playing time. Within those four guys who were able to suit up, they collectively produced 883 yards for 6 touchdowns. Teams with top-tier tight ends end up having one player put up those kinds of numbers. This further signifies that adding a player like Bowers will only help this offense and ignite the explosive capabilities of Anthony Richardson. However, the Colts have many big needs across their roster and tight end is not one of them. Therefore, selecting Bowers in the first round would tremendously benefit the offense, but might not benefit the team as a whole. They have many defensive concerns and have some questions within their offensive line.
How Would Adding Brock Bowers Work Within The Indianapolis Colts Tight End Room?
As mentioned, the Colts had four tight ends play last season and one of their hopeful tight ends, Jelani Woods was injured the entire season. Veteran tight end Moe Ali-Cox signed a three-year extension in 2022 and led the squad with 3 touchdowns. He is expected to be a free agent in 2025. Third-year tight end Kylen Granson led the group in yards with 368 and 1 touchdown. Rookie tight end Will Mallory was very productive when on the field and finished with 18 receptions for 207 yards. Second-year tight end Drew Ogletree finished with 147 yards and two touchdowns. The issue moving forward with Ogletree is if his off-the-field issues with domestic violence charges will hinder his NFL future.
With the assumption that Jelani Woods will be back with the team, where does that leave Brock Bowers? Teams will typically have four tight ends on their 53-man roster, but occasionally teams will go with five. The Colts and Shane Steichen could definitely utilize a big play maker at tight end like Bowers. With some reshuffling of contracts and players, adding Bowers could be a realistic pick. General manager Chris Ballard has not been known to make aggressive picks in the draft when he has other needs. With all of the concerns on the defense, selecting a tight end with the first pick seems irresponsible. However, passing up on a generational talent like Bowers would also be irresponsible. Regardless, if Bowers is available when the Colts pick at 15, it will be a very tough decision for Ballard to make.
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