Raiders' Brock Bowers having a historic rookie season despite team's struggles

HENDERSON. Nev. — Brock Bowers is a man of few words. Davante Adams dubbed the rookie “Business Man” because of his stoic demeanor.

As of late, though, the Las Vegas Raiders tight end is starting to loosen up. After scoring a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins last week, he hit a viral dance to celebrate. When passing quarterback Gardner Minshew II at team headquarters Wednesday, Bowers blew him a kiss. He’s getting more comfortable and confident, and it’s translating to his play on the field.

🕺 #LVvsMIA pic.twitter.com/VYJFcO8DAj

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) November 17, 2024

“At the beginning of the year, stuff was flying everywhere,” Bowers said Wednesday. “With each game, the game’s slowed down.”

Bowers has been historically good this season. He has 70 catches (second in the NFL) for 706 yards (10th) and three touchdowns (tied for fifth among tight ends). He’s on pace to break the single-season rookie record for catches regardless of position and could set the rookie mark for receiving yards by a tight end.

Only one tight end has won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award — Mike Ditka in 1961 — but Bowers is building a strong case to become the second. Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix and New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers also have strong OROY cases, but none have been as productive relative to his peers as Bowers.

Bowers leads all tight ends in catches and receiving yards. Travis Kelce, Trey McBride and George Kittle are all putting up excellent numbers at the position, but Bowers’ receiving production leads the pack.

“It’s unbelievable,” Minshew said Sunday. “We’re putting so much emphasis on him. … In every situation, we’re calling on him and he’s delivering, man.”

Bowers is coming off the best game of his career. Against the Dolphins, he had 13 catches (the most ever in a game by a rookie tight end) for 126 yards (career high) and a touchdown. The 21-year-old sensation is only getting better.

Brockin’ and Rollin!#LVvsMIA | 📺 @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/tUq5NzKADV

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) November 17, 2024

“At the end of the season, you get to relax and reflect a little bit,” Bowers said of appreciating his accomplishments, “but we’re not there yet.”

The area where Kittle maintains a decisive edge over Bowers is as a blocker. While Bowers has been better than expected in that realm, Kittle still has a leg up when it comes to being the best all-around tight end in the league. And while Kelce is so-so as a blocker and has slowed as a receiver, his longevity and lengthy playoff resume can’t be dismissed. Regardless, a rookie simply being in the conversation with the likes of Kittle and Kelce is wildly impressive. That success hasn’t gone to his head.

“There’s always another week coming,” Bowers said. “I’ve always got something to prove.”

Raiders tight ends coach Luke Steckel knew Bowers was capable of making this type of impact the first time he watched his college film. He saw a naturally gifted player who jumped off the screen. His physical traits (speed, size, play strength and athleticism) were alluring, but he also displayed a nuanced skill set that featured crisp route running, an ability to find favorable angles to come back to the quarterback and exceptional ball skills.

“He’s probably the best tight end I’ve ever evaluated coming out of college,” Steckel said Tuesday. “We’ve had really high expectations for him, and he’s certainly lived up to those.”

It’s tough to find a recent comparison for Bowers’ college career. In three years at Georgia, he amassed accolades that included three All-America selections, three All-SEC selections, two John Mackey Awards and two national championships. But while there was little doubt Bowers was one of the best players in the 2024 draft, the Raiders didn’t feel like a fit.

Las Vegas had bigger needs at quarterback, offensive line and cornerback, and it had just taken tight end Michael Mayer in the second round the year before. That led to a lukewarm external reaction to the pick despite Bowers’ talent. But general manager Tom Telesco viewed him as the best player available, and the coaching staff concurred.

“The day he walked in the door, we knew we were getting a blue-chipper,” coach Antonio Pierce said in September. And just 10 games into Bowers’ career, it’s looking like the right move for the Raiders.

“It means we picked the right guy in the draft,” Pierce said Monday. “(He’s a) tremendous talent.”

Perhaps the best part of Bowers’ game has been his ability to create yards after the catch. He has 378 yards after the catch this season (seventh in the NFL).

“His ability to run after the catch is obviously pretty big,” Mayer said Sunday. “It’s huge — being that size and being able to wiggle around and find the space and find open spots.”

Bowers said, “I just catch the ball and run with it,” earlier this season when asked what makes him so good after the catch. That’s a bit of an oversimplification.

“He’s so strong with the ball in his hands,” Steckel said. “He’s got a natural forward lean when he runs. So when he’s tackled, he’s always going to be falling forward for an extra 3 or 4 yards. … You see him catch the ball, run with good ball security, have that forward lean and really have the strength in his lower body to run through defenders. And then when they fall asleep on him, I think he’s got a little twitch in his system to make guys miss, as well. … His natural ability just takes over.”

Bowers has a knack for getting open, but that’s partially a result of his cerebral approach to the game. He’s had growing pains like any other rookie, but he’s learned from his mistakes.

“He’s a really smart player,” Steckel said. “He sees the game clearly. He’s able to process information quickly. … The learning curve certainly wasn’t as steep for him as it is for other rookies coming in, in my experience. … And then the results just speak for themselves.”

The knock on Bowers coming out of college was his blocking ability. He spent most of his time at Georgia lined up as a slot receiver and is a lighter tight end at 230 pounds. He certainly has room to grow in the blocking department, but he’s been able to hold his own.

“As a tight end, you’ve got to have the mentality that you’re a blocker first,” Steckel said. “That physical element of the game and that toughness that’s required to go do your job on the line of scrimmage, he’s done that every time he’s called upon. Obviously, he does so much for us in the pass game that we try to utilize as much as possible, but we’re not afraid to put him in a 3-point stance and have him block a defensive end. … That’s something that separates him from a lot of other tight ends in this league who have a lot of success in the passing game is he excels as a blocker, as well. There’s really no limitations to his game.”

Bowers’ performance this season has come despite poor quarterback play, unreliable pass protection, a non-existent run game, a mediocre receiving corps and a change in offensive coordinator and play caller. That paints an exciting picture of what he could do in a more functional offense.

Since Adams requested a trade in Week 5, Bowers has been the Raiders’ No. 1 receiving option. The coaches have moved him around often to find favorable matchups — he lines up as an in-line tight end, slot receiver, outside receiver and in the backfield — but opposing defenses have still found ways to send extra help his way. Yet that hasn’t stopped the rookie from being productive every week.

The Raiders’ collective struggles could ultimately be what prevent Bowers from winning OROY. Nix has kept the Broncos (6-5) in the playoff picture, and the same goes for Daniels with the Commanders (7-4). Meanwhile, Bowers and the Raiders sit at just 2-8. That may not seem fair to Bowers, but team success has historically factored into voting for awards.

Regardless of the postseason plaudits, what’s clear is that the Raiders have landed a star. Moving forward, the hope is he’ll be a cornerstone for the offense that helps change the franchise’s fortunes.

“We’re trying everything we can to feature our best player (on offense),” Pierce said. “We just need more and more guys to keep making more plays like him.”