The deal, of course, includes a fifth-year team option for 2028. Although the Raiders were an unideal landing spot for 2024 — their quarterback situation is amongst the league’s worst, while the skill corps is surprisingly crowded — Bowers could clear out the field soon enough. Neither Davante Adams nor Jakobi Meyers will be around for the long haul, while second-year pro Michael Mayer could already be a stranded asset of the previous regime. It’s disappointing that Bowers doesn’t have a clear rookie path to top-five status at a thin position, but that could arrive as soon as 2025. As it is, Bowers is still worth back-end TE1 consideration for the upcoming season, and that could end up a conservative projection.

It’s an “on-board” pick for Vegas, but a highly questionable landing spot for Bowers. A four-star recruit out of high school, Bowers (6’4/243) received offers as both a tight end and linebacker before ultimately settling on UGA. He burst onto the scene as a true freshman with 56 catches for 882 yards and 13 scores. He also brought home the first of his two National Championship rings. Bowers’ efficiency numbers took a hit in his second season, but he topped his catch and yardage totals with a 63/942/7 line and even added 109 yards and three scores on the ground. A high-ankle sprain limited Bowers to 10 games as a junior. He made the most of the limited reps with 714 yards and six more scores. For his career, Bowers averaged an absurd 2.6 yards per route run and an even more mind-bending 8.5 YAC per reception. Bowers is a force with the balls in his hands, blurring the line between receiver and tight end as a pass-catcher. That, conversely, is the only concern with his game. Bowers is a technically sound blocker but is undersized for his position. He also ran over half of his routes from the slot. Despite these nitpicks with his profile, any NFL coordinator worth his salt will make the most of Bowers’ elite skill set with a less-than-traditional role. We aren’t sure if Luke Getsy is that coordinator.

Jones’ report comes amidst chatter the Rams are looking to vault from No. 19 to the top 10. It has been genuinely uncertain if Bowers will crack the top 10, with the Jets looking like an option at 10 and the Broncos the potential fail safe at No. 12. A unique player who did not test, Bowers is the kind of prospect who lends himself to teams either outsmarting themselves or overthinking his résumé.

Armed with a first-round pick for the first time since 2016, the Rams apparently don’t know what to do with themselves. They are currently sitting at No. 19 overall. Moving up a minimum of nine spots would take a lot of ammunition for a team with an aging quarterback, one that just lost Aaron Donald to retirement. We can’t say we would advise it, especially were it for a pass catcher. Alas, Sean McVay has long been addicted for bold moves for star receivers, with extremely mixed success.