The Las Vegas Raiders were not able to land a quarterback in the NFL Draft last April, but they did land arguably the most talented player in the class: tight end Brock Bowers.
Bowers was viewed as a generational talent heading into the 2024 draft, and he proved why during his rookie campaign.
The University of Georgia product hauled in 112 receptions for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl appearance and a First-Team All-Pro selection this year, and he is just getting started.
Bowers is also gaining national recognition, and this week, legendary NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski delivered a massive take on the Raiders superstar.
“Brock Bowers is an absolute savage,” Gronkowski told reporters. " ... He was dominating as a rookie. He had over 100 catches with like five different QBs. The man is a menace.”
If anyone knows what it takes to play tight end at an elite level, it's Gronkowski, who made five Pro Bowls while notching First-Team All-Pro honors four times throughout his 11-year playing career.
Gronkowski spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Patriots before taking a one-year hiatus in 2019. He then returned to play two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The 35-year-old won three Super Bowl championships throughout his NFL tenure.
Obviously, Bowers still has a long road ahead of him. We have seen players get off to terrific starts and then fizzle out. But let's be honest: barring injury issues, Bowers probably isn't doing that.
It's now up to Las Vegas to actually find a franchise quarterback for Bowers and to supply him with some more supporting talent as far as pass-catchers.
Right now, the Raiders have Jakobi Meyers and not a whole lot else alongside of Bowers.
The good news is that Las Vegas is loaded with cap room heading into the offseason, so it should have the chance to bring in some big pieces in the coming months.
It will definitely be interesting to see what Bowers, who posted four games of 10 or more catches this past season, does for an encore in 2025.
