Brock Bowers announces decision to enter NFL Draft

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, by no surprise to anyone, is headed to the NFL Draft. The third-year Bulldog standout announced his intentions to go pro on social media Tuesday night.

“Dawg Nation, words cannot describe how thankful I am for what these last 3 years has brought. It has been an unbelievable honor and privilege to play for this university. It has given me memories that will last a lifetime,” Bowers wrote in his farewell message. “First, I’d like to thank my family for always being there to support me through my journey. Especially my mom and dad for making countless trips across the country.”

“Thank you Coach Smart and Coach Hartley for giving the opportunity to play for this program and the time, energy and effort you invested in me on and off the field. You guys challenged me in everything we did, which allowed me to grow in more ways than one. A big thank you to the support staff who was there to help me navigate my way through all of the ups and downs of being a student athlete,” he continued. “I am so thankful for my teammates throughout the years, and the friendships I made along the way. I could not ask for a better group of guys to play alongside and be with everyday for the last 3 years. It’s the people that make the place. Finally, thank you Dawg Nation for the everlasting for the everlasting support you guys have shown me throughout my time here. easily the best fans in the nation It has been such an awesome ride.”

Bowers burst onto the scene as a freshman out of Napa, Calif. back in 2021. In fact, his emergence came as soon as he got on campus that spring. He carried that momentum into the fall and led Georgia in receiving and established single-season records for Bulldog tight ends with 56 catches, 882 yards and 13 touchdowns. That touchdown catch total set a single-season record regardless of position. Bowers was named an All-American and National Freshman of the Year for his efforts.

Things didn’t slow down for Bowers in 2022 either. Once again, he earned All-American status with an outstanding sophomore season that saw him top his totals from the previous year. Bowers, who won the Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end, hauled in 63 passes for 942 yards and seven touchdowns, all team-highs, while also adding 109 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground on just nine attempts. After posting over 100 yards receiving in four games as a freshman, he did so three times including two with more than 150 yards (a then-career-high 154 vs. Florida, 152 in National Championship Game against TCU).

Bowers’ third and final season at Georgia was hampered by injury as he missed three games and was limited in others. Still, he managed to lead the team in receiving – at least through 13 games – becoming the first Bulldog to three-peat as the team’s leading receiver since AJ Green (2008-10). Bowers had big outings against UAB and Kentucky sandwiching a career-high outing against Auburn that saw him go for 157 yards and the game-winning score.

Bowers suffered a high ankle sprain versus Vanderbilt that required surgery. He returned from that injury in just 26 days to play against Ole Miss, and his final catch in Sanford Stadium went for a touchdown against the Rebels. Bowers, in just 10 games, finished with the same number of catches (56) as he did in 15 contests during the 2021 season, totaling 714 yards and six scores while adding a rushing touchdown as well.

When drafted, Bowers will extend a stretch of consecutive NFL drafts with a Georgia tight end taken to six. Isaac Nauta started that streak in 2019 going in the seventh round to the Detroit Lions before Charlie Woerner (2020, sixth round, San Francisco 49ers), Tre’ McKitty (2021, third round, Los Angeles Chargers) and John FitzPatrick (2022, sixth round, Atlanta Falcons) extended it.

Most recently, Darnell Washington was taken in third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of a nation-best 10 Bulldogs taken in last year’s draft. Georgia set a modern-era NFL Draft record in 2021 with 15 players selected off of its first of two consecutive National Championship squads.

More on Georgia and the NFL Draft…

Georgia has led the country in NFL Draft selections over the last three seasons with 34 in total. The Bulldogs also rank first over the last five with 48, boosted in large part due to the modern-era NFL Draft record 15 players that were picked in 2022 off of Georgia’s national championship-winning squad. Last year, UGA tied for the nation-high with 10 players picked.

In total, the Kirby Smart era at Georgia has seen 55 selections. You have to go all the way back to 1992 to find the last time at least one Bulldog was not taken in an NFL Draft. Georgia has had a player picked in the first round every year since 2018. That list includes Roquan Smith, Isaiah Wynn, Sony Michel, Deandre Baker, Andrew Thomas, Isaiah Wilson, Eric Stokes, Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt, Lewis Cine, Jalen Carter, Broderick Jones and Nolan Smith.