Analyst suggests Bengals draft elite weapon for Joe Burrow

As Burrow looks to return to form after suffering a season-ending elbow injury in 2023, combined with the loss of running back Joe Mixon in free agency, this year’s draft could prove to be a bit of a reset for the Bengals’ offense.

Cincinnati Bengals’ Perfect Fit Revealed

Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler put together a list of the perfect fits for all 32 teams during this year’s draft.

At No. 18, there’s a chance the Bengals may need to go up to get Georgia’s tight end Brock Bowers, but it was Bowers who made Fowler’s cut as Cincinnati’s ideal first-round selection.

“While offensive line remains a priority for Cincinnati,” Fowler writes for B/R. “The ability to add a talent such as Bowers, who would not only expand a playbook but also force teams to get lighter in the middle, would ultimately boost the run game as well.

“Creating mismatches is the name of the game at the NFL level, and Bowers would provide the Bengals with another explosive skill set to deploy alongside Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.”

Brock Bowers NFL Draft Scouting Report

Bowers is the consensus No. 1 tight end prospect in this year’s class, and a legitimate weapon in the passing game.

At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Bowers caught 56 passes for 714 yards and six touchdowns for the Georgia Bulldogs last season, as the vertical passing game flowed through him for much of the season.

“He has outstanding hands and run-after-catch skills,” an AFC Personnel Executive tells me. “What really stands out is he always runs through first contact.”

Given the talent the Bengals have on the perimeter in Ja’Marr Chase, potentially Tyler Boyd, and if Cincinnati doesn’t wind up trading Tee Higgins, Bowers could feast as a security blanked for Burrow over the middle of the field.

“He plays with relentless pacing as a route runner,” NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein writes of Bowers. “Allowing him to beat man coverage. Also, he’s highly effective at exploiting zone pockets for first downs and chunk plays. Bowers’ secret sauce might be his ability to rip through tacklers and pile on yardage after the catch. He’ll be an adequate move blocker and give effort at the point of attack.”