Why the NY Jets should stay away from Brock Bowers in the draft

It’s quite possible that Brock Bowers will become a Pro Bowl tight end, but the NY Jets should not draft him if he's available when they're on the clock with the 10th overall pick.

If you read through Bowers' Next Gen Stats on NFL.com, it’s easy to see why he’s seen as one of the best tight end prospects in recent years, but the Jets shouldn’t bite.

Depending on which NFL mock draft you read, Bowers has been projected to go anywhere between No. 5-15, but as we all know, anything can happen in the draft.

The last time we saw a tight end with this much buzz was Kyle Pitts, who eventually went fourth overall to the Atlanta Falcons in the 2021 NFL Draft.

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein compared Pitts to Darren Waller, who had just finished the 2020 season second among tight ends in touchdowns and yards, but the biggest compliment was the following:

"Pitts may have the traits and talent to create mismatches like those created by Calvin Johnson and Tyreek Hill. His rare blend of size, athleticism, and ball skills are reminiscent of Megatron…Pitts has a chance to become the biggest game-changer in the 2021 NFL Draft."

- Lance Zierlein

After three seasons of Pitts, it’s safe to assume that his game isn’t going to resemble Calvin Johnson, Tyreek Hill, or quite possibly, Darren Waller.

He was put into a difficult situation under former head coach Arthur Smith, so things may change with a new coach next year, but Pitts is unfortunately not the world-class tight end we all expected him to become, and that quote is crazy to read three years later.

The NY Jets should steer clear of drafting Brock Bowers

Don't get me wrong, I’d still take a chance on Pitts, despite only scoring six touchdowns in three seasons, but his example is a big reason why the Jets should steer clear of Bowers.

If the Jets didn't have other positions of need (future offensive line depth, WR3, etc.), or Bowers was still there in the second or third round, like how the Detroit Lions stole Sam LaPorta at No. 34 overall last year, then sure, it might make more sense. But it's too risky.

Despite being compared to George Kittle, the irony is that Bowers' biggest weakness is that he’s inconsistent with run blocking and “needs to be more forceful when fitting up his blocks," per Zierlein.

The Jets could use the No. 10 overall pick to protect their quarterback and Breece Hall, so if one of Bowers' biggest skills was his blocking, you could potentially swing me on this pick, but if he can't do that at an elite level, then even a healthy Aaron Rodgers might not have enough time to get him the ball.

The excitement and hype surrounding Bowers is understandable, but the Jets simply have more pressing needs to address.

It may be boring, but if this organization wants any chance of breaking their 13-year playoff drought next season, they need to go with the boring pick as opposed to a potentially world-class tight end in Bowers.