The Broncos received limited production from the tight end position this past season, mostly because of the fact that second-year tight end Greg Dulcich just hasn't been able to be available for the team.
The Broncos had to rely on Adam Trautman as their main option along with blocking tight end Chris Manhertz and undrafted free agent Nate Adkins. Lucas Krull was called up from the practice squad toward the end of the season and did show some progress.
As a result, the Broncos received a grand total of 39 receptions for 362 yards and four touchdowns. Pretty much every other team in the league had better numbers out of one tight end than that.
The Broncos were the worst team in the league in 2023 in terms of tight ends and it's really not close. Though using a first-round pick on a tight end is sometimes questionable, Georgia tight end Brock Bowers would be a game-changer in Denver.
In 40 career games with the Bulldogs, Bowers caught 175 passes for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns. He enters this year's draft as one of the best tight end prospects that anyone can remember.
Bowers is the kind of athlete who will surprise you as you take a look at him and not imagine him doing the things that he can do. But he has incredible ball skills, catching just about everything thrown his way and what might be his biggest strength is the way he can create a massive play after a catch.
For a look of some of Bowers' highlights while in college, click here.
He gives new meaning to a tight end that can stretch the field and that is something the Denver offense is in dire need of.
Holding the No. 12 overall pick in the draft, the Broncos would have to hope for a surprising fall from Bowers as most expect him to be a top-10 pick. But it could still happen, particularly with the draft being full of first-round-level quarterbacks whom many teams will be looking at.
There are droves of fans who want to see the Broncos take a quarterback in the first round and if the team falls in love with one, that would be fine. But drafting a quarterback just for the sake of drafting a quarterback would not be wise and if the team chooses to instead direct its intention to the best player on the board when pick No. 12 comes up, Bowers would be an excellent addition.
The Broncos have used a first-round pick on a tight end just twice in team history. They selected Riley Odoms out of Houston with the No. 5 overall pick in 1972. The team also chose Noah Fant with the No. 20 overall choice after trading back in the 2019 draft.