Offensive tackle is the most obvious positional need for the New Orleans Saints.
In the first round of the 2022 draft, Trevor Penning was selected by the team. Over the previous two seasons, the left tackle started six games, but this past season, he was benched. Ryan Ramczyk, a right tackle, is dealing with knee problems and may not play this season. So far, the Saints have made a few moves in free agency, but none involving offensive tackles.
It makes perfect sense to take one there given the deepest offensive lineman class in a long time and the 14th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, Brock Bowers might very well throw a spanner in those arrangements.
NFL scouts have nothing but positive things to say about the two-time Mackey Award winner (best tight end in college football). He moves like a tight end in the body of a wide receiver at 6-foot-3 and 243 pounds. During his three years at Georgia, he lined up all over the field, including in the backfield. Five of his 31 touchdowns came from on the ground.
Daniel Jeremiah, an NFL Network draft expert, and other draft analysts have likened him to George Kittle. Because there are so many excellent quarterbacks and wide receivers at the top of the draft, he is an obvious top-10 talent who won’t go as high.
Bowers was selected by the New York Jets as the tenth overall pick in recent mock selections. However, he has also secretly visited New Orleans on a few occasions. None of the tight ends on the New Orleans roster, Foster Moreau, Taysom Hill, and Juwan Johnson, had more over 370 yards in the previous campaign.
At this week’s NFL owners meetings, Saints coach Dennis Allen stated, “I certainly think that’s an area, in terms of a pass-catcher, not necessarily a wide receiver, but a pass-catcher, is something we’re going to continue to look at.”
The only players on the team who have ever had more than 800 receiving yards in a single season are Chris Olave and Alvin Kamara. In his second season, Rashid Shaheed showed promise with 46 receptions for 719 yards and five touchdowns.
The finest non-wide receiver pass-catching option available in this draft is Bowers. Jared Cook gave New Orleans some solid years, but they haven’t had a top-tier tight end since Jimmy Graham. The Saints are in severe need of offensive line support, but players with Bowers’ caliber don’t just magically appear.
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