NY Jets draft generational offensive weapon in recent 2024 mock

If one thing has become clear this season, it's that the NY Jets need to find ways to add more firepower to their offense this offseason. The 2024 NFL Draft presents a golden opportunity for the team to do so.

While all eyes will be on the top offensive tackle prospects or even the high-profile quarterbacks, the Jets could go in a different direction come April. That's exactly what The Athletic's Dane Brugler has the team doing in his first 2024 mock draft of the year.

Brugler has the Jets selecting Georgia tight end Brock Bowers with the eighth overall pick in his mock draft. Bowers is considered one of the best tight end prospects to come out of college in recent years, and many believe he could be a lock for the top 10 of the draft.

It should be noted that many of the Jets' top desired targets were off the board already. Offensive tackles Olu Fashanu and Joe Alt and wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers were all gone by the time the Jets picked. Bowers was arguably their next-best option.

"Assuming the Jets are all in with Aaron Rodgers for the 2024 season, the team’s first-round pick likely will be an offensive player who can contribute from Day 1. Whether you line him up at tight end, wide receiver, or a hybrid position, Bowers can be a difference-maker and quickly emerge as one of the Jets’ go-to weapons."

Dane Brugler

Brock Bowers would give the NY Jets some much-needed offensive firepower

Bowers is universally seen as the best tight end in this year's draft class, and it wouldn't be a surprise at all to see him end up as a top-10 pick. It's rare for a tight end to be selected so high, but Bowers is a rare prospect.

At 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, Bowers is an elite athlete with outstanding ball skills and YAC ability. He's essentially a dynamic No. 1 wide receiver in a tight end's body, and Georgia uses him as such.

It's not uncommon to see Bowers lined up in the slot or even out wide as a true boundary receiver. He's a strong route-runner with truly exceptional ball skills. Simply put, he's an offensive weapon.

The Jets need to add playmakers to this offense in any way possible this offseason, and although using a top-10 pick on a "tight end" might not seem like the most obvious route, it's definitely one they can explore.

Ideally, the Jets would go with one of the top tackles or even a high-level wide receiver prospect like Harrison or Nabors, but if they're all off the board, Bowers makes plenty of sense.

Pro Football Network's Dalton Miller called Bowers "the best player in the 2024 NFL Draft," and there are many who will share that opinion. Bowers is an offensive weapon — that's exactly what the Jets need, even if the position value would be questioned.