Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers is proving he’s worthy of being a first-round selection. Through 12 games, the former Georgia standout has 84 receptions for 884 yards and four touchdowns.
While victories are hard to come by for the Raiders, Bowers has dominated his defenders since he stepped into the National Football League. In his second game as a pro, he caught all nine targets for 98 yards. Three weeks later, he had his first NFL touchdowns out of 97 receiving yards.
He’s getting more confident every week, as he registered his first 100-yard game in Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins (126 yards, one touchdown). Two weeks later, he had ten catches for 140 yards and a touchdown versus the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s putting up these numbers despite having Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell.
While the Raiders are out of playoff contention, Bowers will be a franchise cornerstone in the coming years. However, with five regular-season games left, he is only two receptions away from breaking the rookie record among tight ends.
Bowers is also on pace to establish new receptions record among rookie tight ends and will likely become the third rookie tight end in NFL history to collect at least 1,000 receiving yards. He can add to his total against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14.
-Lance Fernandez