The Las Vegas Raiders knew they had something special after selecting Brock Bowers with the No.13 overall pick in 2024. Bowers broke out at Georgia the year prior, cementing himself as the top tight end in the class. As the Raiders were desperate for more playmakers, it was a perfect match.
The only issue was the one throwing Bowers the ball, as the Raiders went with Gardner Minshew, Aidan O'Connell and Desmond Ridder throughout the season. Despite the carousel at quarterback, Bowers was able to haul in 112 receptions, the most by a rookie in NFL history. Bowers ended the season with a whopping 1,194 yards and five touchdowns.
Heading into year two, Bowers will no longer have that issue. The Raiders traded for Geno Smith earlier in the offseason, finally adding a stable body to the quarterback room. Smith and Bowers have already created some solid chemistry and fans can't wait to see the two during the regular season.
As the Raiders prepare for Week 1 against the New England Patriots, they'll have one of the top tight ends in the league on their side, according to Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports. Benjamin ranked the top 10 NFL players at each offensive position, with Bowers coming in very high for tight ends.
Bowers, who took the league by storm as a rookie, was ranked the No.2 tight end in the NFL by Benjamin.
"The new kid on the block, Bowers wasted no time emerging as an always-open target, debuting with a rookie-record 112 catches."
Who did Bowers come in behind? George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers. What a massive honor for the second-year tight end. An even bigger notion that Bowers is receiving high praise is that he was ranked as highly as the No.1 spot and as low as No.3. So those who voted in this poll regard Bowers as a top three talent at the tight end position in the NFL.
It's not crazy to think that Bowers can become the No.1 tight end in the NFL in a few years. He's still just 22 years old and has tons of room to grow. As the older age of tight ends begin to phase out in the near future (Kittle, Kelce, Andrews) look for Bowers to lead the charge of the new generation.