The Raiders have their top 2024 draftee under contract. The team and tight end Brock Bowers came to terms on his four-year rookie contract Thursday, checking off a notable box off the team’s offseason checklist.
Bowers’ deal can run through 2028 via the fifth-year option, a decision that Raiders will be in line to make during the 2027 offseason. The Raiders chose Bowers 13th overall, selecting the Georgia tight end despite having traded up for Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer early in last year’s second round.
Closely linked to a Jayden Daniels trade-up effort, the Raiders were also interested in Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons selecting the Washington quarterback at No. 8 surprised most and led to a scenario in which the Raiders were shut out of the first-round QBs, as the Broncos stopped the six-passer run by drafting Bo Nix at No. 12. With the Raiders in need of a QB and lurking at No. 13, the Broncos did not view it as safe — based on their need — to trade down for a shot at grabbing Nix later.
As for the Raiders, they nabbed one of this draft’s top skill-position prospects in Bowers. An interesting storyline developed in the aftermath of Las Vegas adding this draft top tight end. Terrion Arnold, who went 24th to the Lions, said during an appearance on The Next Round (video link) Antonio Pierce informed him the Raiders determined their Bowers investment — a Bowers-or-Arnold decision, per Arnold — on a coin flip. Raiders assistant GM Champ Kelly did not confirm or deny that rumor, but Pierce (via ESPN’s Ryan Clark) did shoot down Arnold’s recount of the Raiders’ first-round decision. Pierce also denied speaking with Arnold during the draft.
Pierce said as soon as both J.J. McCarthy and Nix went off the board, the team agreed on Bowers as the selection. The team viewed a value gap between the Daniels-Caleb Williams–Drake Maye tier and the McCarthy-Penix-Nix trio, helping to explain why the Raiders stayed at No. 13 after Daniels went off the board.
The Raiders do figure to be linked to QBs in the 2025 draft class months ahead of that event, as Gardner Minshew sits as a clear bridge option. Although Pierce made no secret of the team’s QB need this offseason, the Raiders appear set to table that rather critical issue to 2025. A pre-draft report suggested Pierce was readier to trade up for a passer in Round 1 compared to GM Tom Telesco. It is not known how aggressive the Raiders were in their pursuit of a first-round arm, but they ended up standing down and will go into their offseason program with Minshew and Aidan O’Connell.
Pre-draft rumors suggested Bowers would not make it out of the top 10, and the Rams tried to trade up for the standout tight end. But the six-QB run helped Bowers tumble to No. 13. Bowers comes to Las Vegas after being the rare tight end to lead his team in receiving in each of his college seasons. Yardage-wise, Bowers went 882-942-714 at Georgia, becoming a central part of the Bulldogs’ two national championship wins as an underclassman. Bowers, who totaled 26 touchdown receptions in his college career, missed time last season due to ankle surgery.
It’s was rock, paper, scissors.
no, it wasn’t. I was there. Mark Davis came into the room and said, “I am thinking of a number between 1 and 10”
False. They had a bracket for roshambo(kicking each other in the nads) and last man standing got to pick. Unfortunately the winner was saying I need a doc and the NFL employee heard I need a Brock and here we are.
It’s Vegas, I bet what really happened was Mark saw a cocktail waitress walk by and said “I need that tight end in my life” and that’s how they decided on Bowers.
This is the best trade rumors exchange in recent memory
Lol I was just thinking the same thing carlos..haha
Job well done fellas. Thanks for the laughs!!
What a fall from grace for the Raiders. I grew up on them in the 70’s and 80’s winning! Now(?)….losing & a laughing stock of the league.
Great jokes guys!
He’s gonna be Hunter Renfrow V1 2.0.
On one hand, I thought that sticking to their “best player available” strategy ended up working well here, but on the other, what exactly does this mean for Mayer? Both players are talented, and were well thought of in their drafts, but it’s hard to get full utility out of a second tight end picked that highly.
I’d like to see if Vegas can use Bowers out wide to try and do that. I don’t mean permanently as a position change, mind you, just often in certain sets. He has pretty good receiving skills, and though I don’t consider him a bad blocker, his receiving skills are definitely the stronger side of his profile. Obviously this isn’t so simple as just sticking a guy out there, and Bowers would have to learn and be able to run those routes, but the route tree does not have to exceedingly complex and it’s certainly been done before.
The Raiders have clear top options in Adams and Meyers, but having Bowers to supplement that in certain sets with Mayer also lined up as a traditional tight end could create a few choice mismatches on the field. If Bowers can pull that off, the Raiders could stand to get fuller utility out of both him and Mayer and also give a smart QB a host of effective options against any defense. I’m sure that they’ve considered it, and it’s quite early, but I’d like to see the Raiders explore it in depth to get best use out of all of their top weapons in the passing fame.
It’s not impossible to run two tight end sets
Brady did it a ton with Gronk and Hernandez for many years
Bills have Kincaid and Knox which they experimented with last year
Dallas used a lot of two TE with Ferguson and Hendershot
Baltimore has Andrews and Likely
Mayer will serve as a traditional TE while Bowers is more a Flex mismatch TE.
I’ve always believed that young QB’s or journeymen QB’s need good TE’s. Usually bigger targets and shorter routes so the ball gets out quicker. They always say a good TE is a QB’s best friend.
That’s pretty much my point. I think it could be done more often with those tight ends are essentially large receivers. The Raiders haven’t yet, so I’d like to see them do so. I referenced those examples earlier by saying that it had been done before, but some of these are different than what I’m suggesting. Hernandez and Gronkowski were deployed in full house style sets frequently, and the Hendershot/Ferguson combo were deployed as more traditional two TE sets often. I’m suggesting simply suggesting lining Bowers up out wide at a higher rate than the few teams who have done that did do it; even Gronk mostly ran his seam routes from the end of the line. I know that this happens occasionally; I am suggesting making it happen more regularly in the Raiders’ case.
In most of these cases the teams aren’t getting full value production from a second or first round pick, because the second tight end doesn’t receive as many targets in a modern offense. I am suggesting a way to increase snap shares and also create mismatches more regularly than a two tight end set normally creates.
I think bowers is a generational player. Is Mayer good? Seems like he is but Bowers is a clear upgrade IMO. But I wonder is that Mayer injury at the end of the year was/is more serious than the Raiders are making known?
If I am not mis-remembering, two TE sets are becoming more popular. It probably depends on how good your OC is, but I think there are a lot of sets which can take advantage of two TEs.
Past that, taking Arnold over Bowers would not have been my call. With three good CBs still on the board, I’d have traded back to anything in front of Philly, who was probably guaranteed to take one of those CBs.
You’re not mistaken. Two tight end sets where both TEs are meant to be receivers are getting more popular, though. Previously, twin TE sets were almost entirely run focused formations, with the second TE an afterthought or emergency option for a pass. They’re still mostly thought of that way, but now the runs are setting up more passes to those second TEs who were previously regarded only as blockers. Now, as teams throw it around more and as linebackers get exchanged defensively for nickel corners or safeties, backup tight ends are getting more passes and more subs. I think that you’re correct in your observations, myself.
What I’m suggesting is not really a two TE set per se, though. It’s really just using Bowers essentially as a receiver off the line as a wideout in a set of packages. The Raiders are probably planning a bit of this, and as an outside observer, I’m really curious to see how much of it they do. If it’s successful, it helps the run game or screen game as well-Bowers blocking defensive backs on the outside could help spring receivers on screens or backs on pitches or the like.
It’s the Raiders so they’ll screw this surplus up somehow.
Minshew is a quality starting QB. In Vegas he’s got a much better supporting cast, a much more competent head coach, and a brand spankin new tight end. I for one think he’s going to grow out the 70’s porn star stache, dust off and revive Minshewmania ( I still own the T-shirt) and make a hard run at the playoffs. He’s always looked good as a starter, just hasn’t had the support of management. Should have been starting in Indianapolis, but they drafted the spectacularly mediocre Anthony Richardson. Can’t read the defense, throw to his receivers or hand the ball to a RB. Yeah, let’s draft him 4th overall.
Kinda reminds me of a Gannon type but with wheels. Love to see Gardner be given the opportunity to put together a couple year run like Rich had. Can see him and Brock connecting.
a coin flip. the most Raiders thing ever
Shedeur is going to have some solid targets to throw to in his rookie year
Why would the Raiders waste a 5th round pick on a mediocre QB ?