The Las Vegas Raiders selected University of George tight end Brock Bowers with the 13th overall pick of the NFL Draft last Thursday, landing a player many feel is the best incoming rookie at his position in years.
No one is doubting Bowers’ talent. He is considered a generational prospect by some and was widely regarded as one of the best non-quarterbacks in this spring’s draft class.
However, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay wonders if Bowers may end up struggling with the Raiders.
Kay isn’t sure if Bowers’ fit with his new team, particularly heading into his rookie campaign. He notes 2023 second-round pick Michael Mayer—a fellow tight end—as an example, specifying how Mayer didn’t really get many looks in his debut season.
Of course, Bowers is an entirely different player from Mayer. Bowers is an elite prospect, and Mayer wasn’t even drafted in the first round. However, Kay’s overall point should not be lost.
Las Vegas struggled to work Mayer into its offense in 2023 largely due to the fact that the Raiders had a rather shaky quarterback situation.
Things haven’t changed much going into 2024.
Aidan O’Connell is currently Las Vegas’ starting signal-caller, and the team did sign Gardner Minshew in free agency in order to provide some competition.
But as Kay notes, the Raiders may not want either O’Connell nor Minshew throwing a ton of passes next season. He buttresses his statement by saying that Las Vegas was able to beat the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas in spite of not completing a pass after the first quarter.
Kay made sure to put a qualifier on his assessment, saying that he absolutely thinks Bowers should end up becoming a great tight end on the NFL level. He just doesn’t think it will happen in Vegas until the franchise gets things sorted out under center.
We’ll see what kind of year Brock Bowers has next season.
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