Raiders' Brock Bowers Will Solidify Himself as NFL's Best TE

There is little reason to believe Brock Bowers will suffer from the vaunted sophomore slump.

Jun 10, 2025; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) runs a drill during Las Vegas Raiders Minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders hit the jackpot when they selected Brock Bowers in the NFL Draft last offseason. Bowers went on to have the best rookie season of any tight end in National Football League history and already thrusted himself into the conversation of the league's best at his position.

In training camp, Bowers has routinely made catches of varying difficulty. He has seemingly come down with every pass that has been thrown in his vicinity. He looks to have slimmed down from last season, which has led to him being even faster.

It is apparent Bowers is headed toward rare territory, as he shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, Bowers looks to have gotten even better over the offseason. The second-year tight end looks to be a true hybrid at tight end, maybe more so than any tight end in league history.

Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus believes Bowers is set for another productive season. Although it will be challenging for Bowers to produce a second-consecutive historical season, he will have plenty of opportunities to do so, as he is an obvious focal point of the offense.

"Bowers immediately proved last season why he was so highly regarded coming out of Georgia. He set a rookie tight end record with 1,194 receiving yards and earned a terrific 88.4 PFF receiving grade, third best in the NFL. He also led all tight ends in yards after the catch and contested catches. Bowers should have the opportunity to be even more efficient this season with a functional quarterback in Geno Smith. He’s already one of the NFL’s elite tight ends," Wasserman said.

Bowers is arguably already the best tight end in the league. Based on his college career, Mayer is one of the best tight ends to be drafted into the league in recent memory that is not Bowers, and Ian Thomas has a chance to make a name for himself in Chip Kelly's system.

Bowers' Dominance

Jan 5, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) jogs off the field after the Raiders were defeated by the Los Angeles Chargers 34-20 at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

All three tight ends, Smith, the other talent on the Raiders' offense and Chip Kelly will make it hard for defenses to focus on just Bowers this season, which should give him room to work.

Following training camp, Raiders quarterback Geno Smith explained how the Raiders' group of tight ends are among the best tight ends he has played with in over a decade in the National Football League.

"Man, some of the best guys I have played with. Obviously, I think Brock [Bowers] is one [of] one when it comes to tight ends in this league. And I think Mike [Michael Mayer] and Ian [Thomas] are not too far behind him. And we got some really, really talented guys. I think Q [Qadir Ismail] has been doing a great job. Albert O [Okwuegbunam Jr.] made a huge catch today. I think, man, the tight ends coaches are doing a great job with those guys, and then Chip's [Kelly] putting them in positions to make some plays, and they're going out there and executing." 

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