Should Saints neglect their pressing needs and select Brock Bowers if he’s available?

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers has been a name commonly associated with the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. With New Orleans set to pick at No. 14, there’s a chance that he could be available for the Saints to select. Although Bowers is one of the best prospects in the draft, a run of quarterbacks, offensive linemen, and receivers could lead to the elite tight end prospect sliding.

If that happens, the Saints will have to make the tough decision of addressing their needs or taking the best player available, which will likely be Brock Bowers. As the roster currently stands, New Orleans’ top needs are offensive linemen and defensive linemen. Because of that, it’s fair to ask if drafting Bowers would be a mistake since the Saints would have to neglect their top needs to do it.

Would drafting Brock Bowers be a mistake for the Saints?

There’s no question that New Orleans needs to find an elite tackle, or two, in the 2024 Draft. With Andrus Peat a free agent, Trevor Penning still developing, and Ryan Ramczyk dealing with a knee injury that could keep him out next season, there’s no telling what the Saints’ offensive line will look like next season. That’s why nearly every mock draft has the team drafting a tackle in the first round. Fortunately, it’s a great tackle class.

Still, it’s hard to say selecting Brock Bowers would be a mistake. He’s currently the victim of a severe case of prospect fatigue, but Bowers has been considered one of the three best prospects in this class, originally grouped with guys like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. He had a special career at Georgia and his versatile skillset at tight end should definitely translate to the NFL.

This is a similar situation the Cincinnati Bengals faced when they had to decide between drafting Penei Sewell and Ja’Marr Chase in the 2021 Draft, spawning the famous Option-A vs. Option-B meme. That meme is now being used by Saints fans, with some even creating another version to say that it doesn’t matter who New Orleans selects since Derek Carr is at quarterback.

The Bengals selected wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, and it worked out well for them. If Brock Bowers is truly the elite talent many think he is, it’ll probably also work out well if the Saints select him.

READ MORE