The Cincinnati Bengals fought to the very end of the season, overcoming a lot of obstacles along the way to finish the season 9-8. Unfortunately, they fell just short of a playoff appearance, snapping their streak of two straight AFC Championship Game appearances.
The Bengals deserve a lot of credit for sticking in the race as long as they did. A slow start at the beginning of the season put them behind the eight ball, but they were written off by many people after Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury.
With Jake Browning taking over an NFL offense for the first time in his career, many people expected the Bengals to sink in the standings. But, Browning played very well and kept Cincinnati in the mix until they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17, on New Year’s Eve, to officially eliminate them from the postseason.
NFL News & Rumors: Brock Bowers, 2024 NFL Draft, Cincinnati Bengals, Updates
This is a team that should have no issues bouncing back next season as Zac Taylor and his staff have done an excellent job developing the talent on the roster. This is one of the best offenses in the NFL, evident by the production staying at a high level even without Burrow in the lineup.
If there is one thing that the unit is missing, it is a tight end to complement their high-level wide receivers. That is why Trevor Sikkema of PFF believes that the best draft prospect this year for the Bengals is Georgia star tight end, Brock Bowers.
“The Bengals lack tight end production – 28th in team tight end receiving grade and 23rd in team tight end receiving yards. Getting their hands on a player of Bowers’ caliber, who earned elite PFF grades in all three seasons he played for the Bulldogs, would be perfect,” wrote Sikkeman.
Adding Bowers to an offense that already has Ja’Marr Chase as a go-to weapon would be scary for opposing defensive coordinators. If they are able to retain Tee Higgins and or Tyler Boyd in free agency, there would be little debate about who has the best pass-catching group in the NFL.
Bowers is a tight end capable of doing everything on the field. Whether it is blocking in the run game or running routes and catching passes, he presents a unique matchup mismatch everywhere on the field.
NFL News & Rumors: Brock Bowers, 2024 NFL Draft, Cincinnati Bengals, Updates
A game-changing tight end like that isn’t something the Bengals have had often during Burrow’s tenure with the team. Hayden Hurst had a solid 2022 campaign, but Bowers would raise the ceiling of this offense to another level.
However, the Bengals would need a little bit of luck or a trade up the board to be in a position to select Bowers. There are some mock drafts that have him being selected in the top five, as he seems like a near-lock to be selected inside the top 10.
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