What it will take for top 2024 draft picks to deliver on the hype

Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
Accolades needed: 8,000 receiving yards, 60 touchdowns, 6x Pro Bowls, 4x All Pro

We can't have this conversation without Bowers. He is maybe the most hyped tight end prospect ever, or at least since Vernon Davis in 2006. He is known as an elite receiver who can contribute at a high level in the run game as well with his blocking. It's what sets him apart from a player like Kyle Pitts, who was essentially just a big receiver who rarely lined up as a traditional tight end.

Let's take a look at the milestones I have set out for him. It is a bit tricky to come up with these numbers considering how much the position has changed over the years, but it felt like a fair landing spot when comparing Bowers to some of the greatest tight ends in NFL history.

There are currently eight tight ends with 8,000 receiving yards in their career. Tony Gonzalez had nearly double that, but I don't know if anyone will ever match that total. Jason Witten, Antonio Gates and Travis Kelce are also in their own little tier with over 11,000 yards. I think matching expectations for Bowers with where Shannon Sharpe, Rob Gronkowski, Greg Olsen and Jimmy Graham finished their careers makes more sense.

Bowers' game is probably most similar to Sharpe and Olsen in this group. My pro comp for Bowers in the lead up to the draft was George Kittle. He is not a former basketball player with great red zone ability like Gronk or Graham. He is more of a middle of the field worker with good speed, great hands and impressive route running. Bowers can run away from linebackers and run over safeties.

As far as touchdowns go, the same eight have reached the 60-touchdown mark, with the addition of the aforementioned Davis. If Bowers winds up with roughly 8,000 yards and 60 touchdowns, he will essentially have the career of Olsen, who retired with 8,673 yards and 60 touchdowns.

Whether Bowers makes the jump from the Olsen/Sharpe tier to the Kelce/Witten tier will likely depend on quarterback play. Kelce has spent most of his career playing with Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes. Witten caught passes primarily from Drew Bledsoe, Tony Romo and Dak Prescott. That could be a little tricky early on with Bower slated to play with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell this season. Perhaps he will be reunited with his former college quarterback Carson Beck in 2025.

Regarding the personal awards, six Pro Bowls would tie Bowers with Steve Jordan for the seventh-most selections all-time. That would land somewhere between Sharpe's eight career nods and Olsen's three. Four All-Pro selections felt appropriate as well. Sharpe finished his career with five. Olsen never made the All-Pro team. The only other tight ends with five or more All-Pro selections are Ozzie Newsome, Mike Ditka, Gates, Kelce and Gonzalez.

For Bowers, it might be a bit of a slow start. Very few rookie tight ends find a ton of early success and the uncertainty at quarterback is unlikely to help matters. In time, I think Bowers will reach his Hall of Fame potential. He better if he wants to deliver on the hype.