Stud Pass Catchers Galore In The NFL Draft 2024

Does Bowers belong with Harrison and Nabers? The NFL Draft 2024 is loaded with star pass catchers. Pick them high, or else.

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This is it. We have finally reached draft week. The NFL Draft 2024 gets underway Thursday, April 25th. While quarterback discourse has dominated discussions, the talk of wide receivers isn’t too far behind. This should be a legendary class in terms of upper echelon WR production. If we expand the field out to ‘pass catchers’ in general, there are at least five players expected to come off the board within the first half of round one of the NFL Draft, and another six who could be in discussion for late in round one or the beginning of round two.

This is a top-heavy group that manages to also have great depth. It means, you can understand teams trying to move up to grab a potential franchise star at the position, but you can also see everyone waiting a little longer than expected since there will be so many quality guys still available. It’s an interesting dynamic.

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It will be hard to pass up on anyone from the top tier though. The top three are an elite group. We’ve heard how Malik Nabers could have been the number one overall player in a different class, and this year, he’s not even going to be the number one receiver selected thanks to Marvin Harrison Jr. Furthermore, Rome Odunze is normally WR1, but this year, he’s the third WR expected to be taken in the top half dozen or so picks.

There is a drop off after those top three to Brian Thomas and tight end Brock Bowers, but maybe there shouldn’t be. With Bowers specifically, he is considered an elite pass catcher with both strength and speed. His draft stock is below the aforementioned trio simply because he plays tight end. This draft is loaded and teams will have to work to mess up.

NFL Draft 2024 Pass Catchers Galore

Todd Salem: Bowers Is THE Guy

Dropping Bowers down a peg feels like punishment. Why punish Bowers because he’s a better blocker than Nabers? Well, that’s not exactly what is happening. Thanks to contract levels and positional designations, there is simply less value to be gained by using a top pick on a guy who plays tight end as opposed to wide receiver. Good, veteran tight ends are already cheap. Why spend an elite draft asset on one? On the contrary, good, veteran wide receivers make $20+ million per year.

The logic makes sense. But what if we just thought of all these guys as simply pass catchers? Bowers would then be in the same tier as Harrison, Nabers, and Odunze. NFL.com ranks him as the 7th-best player, regardless of position, in this class. To me, that makes him the potential steal of the draft.

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There is little chance Bowers gets selected in the top seven unless every piece of info thrown around this offseason was smokescreen. Most mocks have him being selected 10th by New York, with Indianapolis as another target destination. That makes sense, as neither of those teams currently has a difference-maker at TE.

But again, what if we think of Bowers as just another pass catcher who will be a good blocker. Then, the Chargers should be intrigued at five, or the Giants at six. I’d rather have Odunze or Nabers, so maybe there just isn’t enough room in this draft class to move up from 10, since 40 percent of the selections ahead will be quarterbacks regardless.

Even still, it feels like a worthy exercise. Bowers is being punished because he’s a better blocker and in-line asset than the other pass catchers. Or maybe, the fact that he’s being discussed as a top-10 pick proves how good he is even while being designated as a tight end to lower his value.

Dan Salem: No Bad Choices

Tight ends are the ultimate NFL difference maker, but very few teams have one worth mentioning. Kansas City has been great because they have a hall-of-fame tight end. Heck, if Bowers is even on George Kittle’s level, he deserves to be selected in the top ten picks. Here’s the thing, though. How does each team’s quarterback like to throw the ball?

In the case of the New York Jets at pick 10, it makes perfect sense to think Bowers is the ideal choice. They don’t have a tight end who’s proven themselves a great pass catcher, at least not yet. But Aaron Rodgers does not throw the ball over the middle of the field. He actively avoids that area, but it’s where tight ends usually do most of their pass catching. Some tight ends run deep seam routes and longer routes on the sides of the field, but most don’t. The Jets also chose a tight end last year who has yet to play with a number one caliber quarterback.

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I’d be shocked if New York does not grab one of the top three wide receivers, but as you noted, they may actually have to trade up for one of them. It’s going to be highly competitive inside the top ten, for both wide receivers and quarterbacks. Ultimately I don’t think Bowers will be punished, because it’s simply less likely for him to materialize into a great NFL Player than his wide receiver peers. The risk is infinitely higher selecting him, but so is the reward. He’ll go in the top fifteen, but the top 10 is going to be tricky. That’s because there is also a bevy of stellar offensive lineman available.

It may not be a sexy pick, but choosing an offensive lineman can alter the trajectory of your franchise permanently into the positive. We are discussing pass catchers, but the lineman are going to create controversy and indecision for NFL general managers. Since making predictions is fun, here’s my thought on how the pass catchers fall within the top ten picks (assuming no trades).

1. Bears – QB
2. Commanders – QB
3. Patriots – QB
(4.) Cardinals – WR
5. Chargers – TE or OL
6. Giants – QB
(7.) Titans – WR
8. Falcons – OL
9. Bears – OL or WR
(10.) Jets – WR or OL

Meet our Writers:

Dan Salem is Lead Editor and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X, TikTok and Instagram. His latest film ‘Alone’ is now on Amazon.

Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a champion of fantasy football and fantasy baseball, dominating leagues for over two decades. Comment below on his unfiltered opinions.

NFL Draft 2024 Photo Credits: pff.com and backsportspage.com via Getty Images

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