Insider notes on the 2024 NFL Draft: Where Brock Bowers could land and Ravens' plans at RT
As many as eight offensive tackles could come off the board in the first round of next week’s draft. Where could that eighth tackle, Jordan Morgan of Arizona end up? Here’s what I’m hearing, along with an update from Monday’s news on Brock Bowers.
On Monday, I reported that people around the league believe Brock Bowers is possibly the most underrated player in this draft, and since then I’ve spoken with a number of front-office decision makers who concur with the opinion and expanded on it.
As draft meetings are coming to a close, most teams I’ve spoken with have Bowers rated as the fifth or sixth player on their overall board. Bowers presently rates as the fourth player on the Sportskeeda mock draft simulator, and the second pass catcher after Marvin Harrison Jr.
2024 NFL Draft: Where could Brock Bowers land?
The way it looks now, Bowers won’t get past the New York Jets at pick 10. I first mentioned during my report from Georgia’s pro day on March 13 that “The teams showing the most interest in Bowers are the Los Angeles Chargers (fifth pick), the Tennessee Titans (seventh pick), the Chicago Bears (ninth pick) and the New York Jets (10th pick),” and that still holds true.
Sources say if the Bears go pass catcher with the ninth pick, it will come down to Bowers or receiver Rome Odunze. Bowers was in Chicago on Tuesday for an official-30 visit with the franchise and will be in Los Angeles to see the Chargers on Wednesday.
Offensive lineman Jordan Morgan is in play for the Baltimore Ravens with the 30th pick of the draft, but it’s not a guarantee that he would play tackle as a rookie.
Sources I’ve spoken with say one of the reasons Baltimore gave away right tackle Morgan Moses to the New York Jets was that they are comfortable with the talent on hand to replace him.
The Jets and Ravens swapped fourth-round picks (pick 113 and 134), and the Jets also sent a sixth-round compensatory selection to the Ravens (pick 218) in order to acquire Moses.
Baltimore believes Daniel Faalele, the big athletic tackle from Minnesota who they selected in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, is capable of holding down the right tackle spot. They also like the potential of Andrew Vorhees at that position.
You may remember Vorhees was graded as a middle-round choice entering the 2023 NFL Combine, then tore a knee ligament during position drills. He returned a day later, on crutches, and completed 38 reps on the bench press. The Ravens selected Vorhees in the seventh round of last April’s draft.
This all means Morgan could start his rookie season at guard and eventually replace Ronnie Stanley at left tackle, as Stanley has one more year remaining on this contract.
A bit of revisionist history: in 1996, the Ravens selected Jonathan Ogden with the fourth pick of the draft then started him at guard as a rookie before moving him to left tackle.