3 tight end options if Bengals don't select Brock Bowers in first round of 2024 NFL Draft

It is hard to imagine the Cincinnati Bengals not selecting Georgia tight end Brock Bowers if he is available at No. 18 overall. It feels like a fait accompli at this point. Several mock drafts have 18th overall as the former Bulldog's floor. Some who cover the team speak as if he is already available for Cincinnati to grab. Fans have inserted his image next to Bengals players like Marvel YouTubers inserting Hollywood stars into fan-fiction posters of the next Avengers movie. 

Even Pro Football Focus has decided to propagate the idea of Bowers heading to Cincinnati by selecting him for the Bengals in their latest mock draft. One can’t help but surmise that PFF could be participating in some fan fiction of their own. 

However, the possibility exists that Bowers to Bengals could not materialize. Perhaps he will be selected by another team caught up in the hype. Maybe Cincinnati will opt for an option along the offensive or defensive line instead.

What happens then? Are there other options that offer a facsimile of what the Georgia tight end would bring to Cincinnati? Here are three players in the 2024 NFL draft that could provide some of what Bowers offers without the first-round price tag.

3) Jaheim Bell, Florida’s State

If you are looking for another versatile option at tight end that the offense could use as a potential weapon, Florida State’s Jaheim Bell might be the best bet. Bell lined up everywhere for the 'Noles. Florida State used him as an in-line tight end, fullback, wing, running back, and receiver. However, he spent what seemed like the majority of his time out wide. 

Bell compares well to a player identified as a possible Bengals target in last year’s draft: 49ers tight end Brayden Willis. The differences are that Willis had more opportunities to pass block in college, and selecting Bell will cost more in draft capital than Willis. 

Where Bell’s play will excite fans is when he lines up in the slot and as a receiver. He is an excellent receiver when pass-catching and catches with confidence. Furthermore, he is great at running after the catch. Think of him as more of a “scat receiver” than a “body-up” type when he gets involved in the passing game.

Bell can get open underneath the coverage and also outrun starting cornerbacks. These skills have been on display since his days with South Carolina. 

In terms of blocking, Bell excels at the point of attack and in space. His pass protection and blitz recognition need to improve, as his pass protection lands him third on this list.

Pro Football Focus lists Bell at 175, while Mock Draft Database ranks him 165th. In either case, Cincinnati must target the talented and versatile tight end in the fifth round. That is if he's still available at No. 49 and the Bengals don’t go with Bowers in the first round. 

2) Jared Wiley, TCU

Another highly underrated tight end who you coulsee rising on draft boards is TCU’s Jared Wiley. PFF has him ranked as the 269th overall prospect entering the draft, while Mock Draft Database ranks him 207.

Wiley is a versatile player who lined up everywhere for the Horn Frogs. In Cincinnati’s offense, he can play as a slot receiver, fullback, or traditional tight end. The Bengals’ coaching staff always claims they desire players with versatility, so Wily could be a nice fit.

The former TCU tight end is not a prolific blocker. Nevertheless, he gets the job done and doesn’t hesitate to put his facemask into the chests of defensive linemen. Also, his size advantage over smaller defensive backs when blocking downfield is glaring. 

Wiley’s game against Baylor exemplifies what type of receiving threat he could be with a quarterback like Joe Burrow throwing him the ball. In that game, he caught seven passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns.

Wiley is not as good of a blocker as Bowers is, but he is not that far off. However, Wiley is as good of a pass-catching tight end as anyone at the position this draft season. 

Wiley is a player you should keep an eye on throughout the rest of the draft process if you are one of the many people who want the team to target a receiving threat at the position without spending a first-round pick doing so.

Wiley’s skillset may be redundant with the newly acquired Mike Gesicki. But if you are inclined to spend a high pick on a wide receiver or offensive lineman to play behind a starter for one year, then you should be willing to do the same with a tight end selected in the fifth or sixth round. 

If Cincinnati wants a pass-catching threat who they can use as a mismatch in the passing game and who offers good blocking at the point of attack, they should strongly consider Wiley in the fifth round with the 149th overall pick. Again, of course, if the team doesn’t select Bowers at 18. 

1) Tanner McLachlan, Arizona

Perhaps the best choice for the Cincinnati Bengals after Bowers is Arizona tight end Tanner McLachlan. The former Wildcat is one of the most underrated players in this draft class.
Pro Football Focus ranks McLachlan 240th overall, while he sits at 243 in Mock Draft Database's overall rankings.

McLachlan is a tenacious run blocker. He is also a very good pass-blocker. And while he was not perfect going against elite pass rushers like Laiatu Latu, Arizona’s coaching staff entrusted him to pass block a couple of the best pass rushers in the draft, Bralen Brice and Brennan Jackson, one-on-one. McLachlan won. 

McLachlan's 45 receptions in 2023 are second only to Rob Gronkowski in Wildcat history for the most catches in a season from a tight end. No, 45 catches is not 90 like some tight ends have recorded in recent years, but Gronkowski holds the school record with 47. No one will argue that he was not a good tight end. 

Mockdraftable compares McLachlan favorably to Michael Mayer, a fan favorite target for the Bengals in last year’s draft. Although that is a body-type comparison, McLachlan is much more athletic than Mayer. Another comp, albeit a bit further down Mockdraftable’s list, is Pat Freiermuth. 

McLachlan has an excellent combination of blocking and catching. Perhaps some do one or the other better, but not both. McLachlan should be on any team’s draft board that is looking for a tight end but doesn’t want to use a first-round pick to acquire one. Hopefully, that will include the Bengals, who could select McLachlan in the sixth or seventh round. They have four total picks in those last two rounds of the draft.

If you are in the camp that wants to see Bowers in stripes, you may be in luck. But if it does not happen, take some solace in knowing that other good tight end options are available throughout the draft who offer some of what Bowers brings. Wiley, Bell, and McLachlan would be excellent backup plans for Cincinnati.