Brock Bowers reveals how practicing against Georgia's elite defense prepared him for the NFL

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers is one of the top prospects ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, taking home the John Mackey Award twice in his three-year college career presented annually to college football’s most outstanding tight end.

Bowers did so playing in the SEC, the conference that most consider the most competitive across all of college football comprising of the most talent. But the competition at his practices may have been even stiffer, consistently facing one of the most elite defenses in college football history during his time in Athens.

Bowers joined Matt Barrie on ESPN’s ‘SportsCenter’ on Wednesday, and spoke about how practices at Georgia have prepared him for the next level ahead of the NFL Draft.

“We always said the practices were gonna be harder than the games and that’s how it was,” Bowers said. “I mean coming in there going against guys like Travon Walker, having Jordan Davis, and Nakobe [Dean], and Quay [Walker], and all those NFL dudes. I mean I think after my freshman year all those dudes were on NFL rosters and just doing their thing. So it definitely made me better throughout my three years.”

Bowers bust onto the scene in his freshman season with the Bulldogs, ending the year with 56 receptions for 882 yards and 13 touchdowns en route to a national championship victory. He made a multitude of All-American teams and earned numerous Freshman of the Year awards following the season, but before the season, he had to prove he belong on Georgia’s practice field against a historic defense.

In 2021 the Georgia Bulldogs’ defense held opponents to an impressive 9.5 points per game, displaying absolute dominance by holding eight opponents to single-digit points and shutting out three teams on their schedule.

Following the season Georgia set a record in the modern era with 15 players selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, with eight of those players coming from the defensive side of the ball and five defenders being selected in the first round.

Georgia would go on to win another national title in 2022 highlighted by elite defensive play and another dominant season from Bowers, catching a career-high 63 passes for 942 yards to take home his first Mackey Award. Followed by seven Bulldogs on the defensive ball being drafted in 2023.

Bowers will be no stranger to NFL competition when he’s competing on Sundays, as all eyes will be on him in April to see where the nation’s best tight end lands ahead of the 2024 NFL season.