Breaking Down Raiders' Tight End Room

The Las Vegas Raiders will rely heavily on the tight end position this season.

They've done so over the past few seasons, using heavy 12 personnel, but it didn't come to fruition as the former coaching staffs would have hoped.

Now that Klint Kubiak, an offensive-minded head coach who has operated mostly out of two tight end sets in the past and has had success, is in charge, the use of the Raiders' tight ends may actually look efficient.

Las Vegas has one of the best players in the league at that position, plus several other potentially intriguing contributors. What are the Raiders working with in the tight end room?

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

Let's break down every tight end on the roster and see what they might bring to the team.

The Starter(s): Brock Bowers & Michael Mayer

Las Vegas Raiders Thomas Harper, Brock Bowers, and Michael Mayer | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Bowers is looking to bounce back to superstar status after an injury-riddled 2025 season, while Mayer is looking to make an impact in the final season of his rookie contract.

The Raiders should be able to use both of them together easily, especially with Kubiak's experience with 12 personnel and the presence of two talented tight ends on the roster. With both players having multifaceted skill sets, Kubiak should be able to get the most out of them.

Bowers becoming a star again would do wonders for this passing game, while Mayer could establish himself as a prime role player in this offense. If both Bowers and Mayer play to their potential, the Raiders could surprise.

Backup Contributors: Ian Thomas & Albert Okwuegbunam Jr.

Thomas has been a solid backup tight end for a decade, while Okwuegbunam has some fun athletic tools.

Thomas posted the most yards he's had since 2022 with the Raiders last season, catching 13 passes for 114 yards. Okwuegbunam posted five catches for 36 yards in one game with the Silver and Black last season and has bounced around the league since 2020.

We will see how many tight ends the Raiders want to keep on the roster, and if they were to keep one of these two, they'd keep Thomas. He just earned another one-year deal, providing solid veteran depth behind their two stars.

Depth: Carter Runyon and Patrick Gurd

Runyon appeared in 13 games for the Raiders last season, catching one pass for three yards and serving mostly as a blocker. Gurd is an undrafted rookie from Cincinnati with solid athleticism.

Due to the sheer number of tight ends on the roster at the moment, it may be tough for either Runyon or Gurd to make the 53-man roster, but they may both serve an important purpose on the practice squad. Runyon's blocking ability and Gurd's athleticism make them intriguing players.

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