In what was a dimmed season for the Las Vegas Raiders, the one big bright spot was the quick maturation of Brock Bowers as one of the best tight ends in the NFL.
Selected with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the former Georgia Bulldogs star lived up to expectations in what was a historic season for the young tight end.
Despite instability at the quarterback position, Bowers shined as a pass-catching tight end. He broke NFL records with 112 receptions for 1,194 yards. Those accolades earned him a First-Team All-Pro nod and a ton of excitement for what lays ahead for the exhilarating tight end in Year 2 and beyond in a Raiders’ uniform.
Brock Bowers in a better position than rookie season
With a new head coach in Pete Carroll, a new offensive coordinator in Chip Kelly and a new quarterback in Geno Smith, the second-year playmaker is in prime position to be even better going into the 2025 NFL season if the work ethic remains as intense. Appearing on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast, Bowers talked to hosts Taylor Lewan and Will Compton about his record-breaking season and how he plans to face higher expectations in Year 2.
“I’m just really big into winning every single rep and like trying to do that in the offseason,” Bowers said, as transcribed by the team’s official site. “During OTAs I’m trying to do that and just pisses me off when I don’t do that. So, it just pushes me to get better in every single facet I think. Because I feel like there’s not one thing I did great, but not one thing I did super duper bad. I’m just trying to elevate everything.”
That elevation could be scary for opposing defenses.
3 reasons Brock Bowers will dominate again in Year 2
- A reliable QB in Geno Smith: It’s amazing the type of season Bowers had as a rookie given that the Raiders lacked stability at the quarterback position. With a veteran under center like Geno Smith, the second-year tight end should be even more comfortable in the Raiders’ offense, especially as the No. 1 target. Smith is a quarterback who has had success getting the ball to tight ends. In 2024, Smith completed 70.4 percent of his passes. That accuracy should help Bowers continue to shine in Year 2.
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- The Asthon Jeanty impact: Adding a dominant running back to the mix like Ashton Jeanty will have more defenses loading the box and will set up a lot of play action targets for Bowers. His ability to be versatile and lineup as an in-line tight end, in the backfield or spread out as a receiver should be emphasized more in Year 2 given the talent the Raiders will have in the offense. If Jeanty is as dominant as expected, it will set up Bowers to be even more multi-dimensional in the Raiders’ offense.
- Chip Kelly’s offense: The addition of Chip Kelly as Raiders’ offensive coordinator will feature Bowers. His high-tempo approach and spread concepts will be manufactured to expose defensive mismatches which is where Bowers could shine more. A key element will be having a second tight end in the mix. If Michael Mayer lives up to expectations, a two-tight end look with Jeanty in the backfield will give Kelly all kind of options and Bowers more opportunity to find weaknesses in the offense.
In all, expect Bowers to continue his trajectory as one of the best (if not the best) tight ends in all the NFL.