The Chicago Bears cannot pass on this player with the ninth pick

Regardless of whether the Chicago Bears keep Justin Fields or draft a new Quarterback, there's one player in the draft that Ryan Poles should instantly select if he's still available when the Bears go back on the clock in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

By Philip VanDerHeyden | Feb 12, 2024, 1:05 PM CST

Georgia's Brock Bowers might be a Tight End on the depth chart, but he is far more than that. / James Gilbert/GettyImages

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Unless we draft him early instead of a quarterback, Marvin Harrison Jr. isn't walking through that door, no matter how much we all wish for it. Other elite offensive prospects have received major fanfare such as Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze, but I don't think there should be a discussion if one man in particular sits available when the Chicago Bears are back on the board.

The identity of this franchise-altering prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft is Brock Bowers, Tight End, Junior, University of Georgia.

First and foremost, any conversation about this gladiator of a man must start with his freakish size and his accolades. Standing at 6'4 and weighing in at 240 pounds with a rumored 40-yard dash of 4.4, Brock Bowers is the first-ever player to win the coveted John Mackey Award in back-to-back seasons for being the Nation's best Tight End. He is a two-time National Champion and a three-time All-American, twice first team.

Quite simply, he is among the most decorated tight ends to ever play college football.

Yet in the age of analytics and positional value, tight end is not frequently believed to be high on the priority list. While some of the greatest teams in recent memory have had top-notch tight ends, they are not normally thought of as a "missing piece." They are thought of as "luxury."

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