Not many expected Brock Bowers to be a Las Vegas Raider but the team pulled off a big surprise when they selected the Georgia tight end with the No. 13 pick. He was the best player on the board and Las Vegas picked him up despite not having a need at tight end.
While he wasn’t expecting to be a Raider, Bowers is very familiar with the franchise. He is from Napa, California, which is where the Raiders held training camp up until 2020. Bowers has previously attended training camp from the team and even revealed that he got an autograph from former quarterback Derek Carr that he thought “was pretty sweet,” according to an April 25 X post from The Athletic’s Vic Tafur.
Carr is no longer with the team but was the starting quarterback for nine seasons. Bowers’ interaction with the quarterback clearly resonated as he still remembers. He now joins wide receiver Davante Adams and Antonio Pierce as somebody who watched the Raiders closely growing up before joining the franchise.
Brock Bowers Was ‘Shocked’
As noted previously, the Raiders weren’t expected to be in the market for a tight end. They drafted Michael Mayer in the second-round last year and showed some promising flashes. Not even Brock Bowers that he was going to go to Las Vegas.
“I was really shocked … when that phone call came from Las Vegas, Nevada, I was juiced,” Bowers said, per an April 25 X post from ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez.
Bowers was likely the best player left on the board so it’s easy to understand why the Raiders selected him. While Mayer could be very good, he doesn’t project to be as good as Bowers. Also, the Raiders could now deploy one of the best tight end duos in the NFL if Bowers and Mayer are as good as advertised.
Las Vegas Raiders Get Rave Reviews for Brock Powers Pick
The Raiders still have needs at quarterback, offensive line and cornerback, and there were still some options available on the board. However, Brock Bowers was just too good to pass up.
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report gave the Raiders an “A+” grade for adding the star tight end.
“Honestly, the Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos saved the Las Vegas Raiders from themselves,” Sobleski wrote in an April 25 column. “They didn’t have the chance to select a quarterback prospect much higher than they should have purely out of necessity. Instead, the Raiders added the second-ranked overall prospect on the final B/R Scouting Department big board.
“While quarterback is still a massive concern for the Raiders, it’s far better to take the best available prospect instead of reaching to fill a need. Besides, Bowers will make life so much easier on whomever starts behind center in Sin City this fall.”
The Raiders still have a lot of work to do. They were quiet in free agency and haven’t been aggressive in addressing needs. Las Vegas has a lot of picks left and there’s a chance they don’t take a quarterback at all. The Raiders will likely be in the market for a cornerback or an offensive tackle with their second-round pick.
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