Raiders’ Bowers Has Chance For All-Time Greatness

It is easy to spot a special player when they continue to make exceptional plays weekly. When watching Brock Bowers storm onto the scene as a true freshman for the Georgia Bulldogs in 2021, no one could've imagined the immediate impact he would make once he reached the NFL in 2024.

The Las Vegas Raiders had just drafted the No. 1 tight end in the 2023 NFL Draft with Michael Mayer in the second round, turning around one year later to add arguably the best non-quarterback offensive prospect in the selection process in Bowers.

Las Vegas Raiders TE Brock Bowers | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Since then, despite missing only a handful of games, the third-year tight end is arguably the league's best in such a short period. While it is too early in his career to place these levels of expectations on Bowers, the talent and production yearly there for him to become one of the great tight ends of this era and, maybe, ever.

Brock Bowers Could Pace Legends Before Him

Bowers LV — May 20, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) warms up during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Growing up, I was thankful to watch players like Rob Gronkowski, the final years of Tony Gonzalez, Jimmy Graham, and, locally, Greg Olsen, having grown up in the mountains of North Carolina in proximity to the Carolina Panthers.

As I got older, it became Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Mark Andrews, and now witnessing a special crop of young tight ends like Bowers, Sam LaPorta, Kyle Pitts, Trey McBride, and Tucker Kraft.

That's why it's so impressive that among all of those names, it is Bowers who could represent the Raiders' Silver and Black proudly as this generation's greatest tight end, and potentially the best to ever play the position.

It remains telling to me that for two years in a row, according to ESPN's annual positional rankings lists, NFL executives, coaches, and scouts saw Bowers as the league's top tight end, especially after his first season.

Bowers impacts the game in so many ways, showcasing elite versatility, athleticism, pass-catching ability, and blocking skills that make him incredibly difficult to gameplan against; former Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II was lined up across Bowers in past matchups because of how incredible he was as a receiver.

Now, under head coach Klint Kubiak, the record for most receiving yards in a single season by a tight end (1,416) could be under threat. In a league where versatility and playmaking ability in systems like Kubiak's are expected to run, Bowers is about to become a cheat code for the rest of the league.

He'll likely make well over $20 million per year in his next contract, which he'll be eligible for next offseason. It is only a matter of time until Bowers becomes one of the best overall players in the NFL.

Bowers is Only Just Getting Started

With that said, naming Bowers a future Hall of Famer right now is premature considering he hasn't stepped onto the field for his third season. Though it is hard to ignore the facts and tea leaves of what could come next for the former Georgia standout.

This is a player I'm giddy about watching in 2026 under Kubiak and with a better signal-caller under center, whether it is Kirk Cousins or Fernando Mendoza. The league is not ready for what Bowers has yet to become. With what he is already, the sky is the limit for what type of greatness he could reach during his career.

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