INDIANAPOLIS — Brock Bowers, the No. 1 tight end prospect in this year’s NFL draft and a potential top-10 pick, said his coaches at Georgia held a film study last year where the focus was Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta.
“We watched a bunch of film on him at Georgia, kind of film studied, see what he does good,” Bowers said Thursday at the NFL combine. “It was awesome to watch a rookie tight end come in there and ball out.”
LaPorta, the No. 34 pick of last year’s draft, had a record-setting rookie season for the Lions, catching 86 passes for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. He broke Keith Jackson’s 35-year-old record for receptions by a rookie tight end (81) and tied for team lead in touchdown catches.
Tight end has historically been one of the toughest positions for rookies to make an impact in the NFL, but LaPorta showed an advanced feel for running routes and separating from defenders and was a better blocker than advertised.
Bowers is considered one of the most complete tight end prospects in recent decades and could join Kyle Pitts, T.J. Hockenson, Eric Ebron, Vernon Davis and Kellen Winslow as the only tight ends to go in the top 10 since 2000.
- The Lions took Hockenson with the eighth pick of the 2019 draft, and selected Ebron 10th overall in 2014.
