Brock
Bowers

Brock is one of the most gifted playmakers that Las Vegas coach Pete Carroll has ever come across during his five-plus decades on the sidelines. "He's pretty much better than anybody we've had before," Carroll says. "He is as natural a football player as you can imagine, and there's nothing he can't do."

On Black Friday 2024 against Kansas City, Brock looked like a cheat code, catching 10 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown. He was everywhere — flexed wide, in-line in motion — and punished linebackers and safeties alike. Bowers moved the chains, soaked up targets and kept the Raiders.

What a rookie season for Bowers. It was so impressive, it's documented in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His gloves, shoes and helmet from the season finale became part of an exhibit documenting his NFL records for catches by a rookie (112) and receiving yards by a rookie tight end (1,194) in 2024.

Brock had a rookie season that set the standard for tight ends. The first-round pick from the U. of Georgia caught 112 passes for 1,194 yards in 2024. That broke Mike Ditka's rookie receiving-yards record at the position (1,076 in 1961) and surpassed Puka Nacua's 105 receptions the previous season for the most by a first-year player at any position.

One person voted Bowers first for Offensive Rookie of the Year, making him the only player not named Jayden Daniels to get a top nod. The awesome tight end also got 31 second-place votes and 11 thirds as he finished with 209 points, finishing comfortably in second place after a spectacular 2024 campaign.

Cementing himself as Las Vegas' top receiving option early in 2024, Bowers parlayed his consistent play into an impressive accolade. The sure-handed star became the fourth rookie tight end labeled as a First Team All-Pro since 1960 and the first since Jeremy Shockey in 2002.

On Black Friday, 2024 against Kansas City, Brock Bowers moved the chains, rushed linebackers and safeties alike. Bowers moved the chains, soared up targets and punished linebackers and safeties all night, further asserting himself as a centerpiece for the Raiders.

Bowers entered the 2024 NFL Draft as one of the most pro-ready tight ends in recent memory. He backed up that reputation with 112 receptions to break Puka Nacua's mark for most catches by a rookie (105). In addition, he set a Raiders record for grabs and logged the third-most receptions by a tight end in NFL history.

Bowers brought in 112 catches in 2024, obliterating Amari Cooper's franchise record (72 in 2015) for most grabs by a rookie. The superstar tight end turned five of those snags into six points, including a 57-yard catch-and-run against the Broncos in Week 5.

Ready to roll from Day 1, Bowers snagged six passes in his NFL debut against the Chargers in Week 1 of 2024. He didn't look back from there, securing 112 grabs and 1,194 yards to earn a First Team All-Pro nod. That gaudy reception haul marked the second-most in history by a tight end (Zach Ertz, 116 in 2018).

Brock kicked off his second NFL campaign with a terrific game at New England on September 7, 2025, as the Raiders prevailed 20-13. Bowers racked up five receptions on eight targets for 103 yards, while notching gains of 23, 30 and 38 yards.

Steve Smith Sr. invited Bowers to the exclusive WR club in the form of his "Guest Pass of the Year Award" at his first annual 89 Awards following the 2024 season. "He runs a lot of really great, patient routes," the legend said. "He's strong, he's fast, but he also has some young patience that you normally don't see."

Brock Bowers was the number one NFL Draft pick for tight ends to come. An incredible pass catcher, seemingly limitless catching radius, Bowers breaks tackles with ease. After earning a first team All-Pro nod as a rookie in 2024, he kicked off his second season with five catches and 103 yards in a Week 1 victory at New England.

The breakout by Bowers left people shaking their heads. The performance by the 13th pick of 2024, however, was real. He really did catch 112 passes, most in a debut season in NFL history. "Believe what you see," Raiders legend Howie Long said. "The best possible player on the draft board was him."

Brock is a positionless problem the Raiders love to have—too fast for linebackers, too strong for safeties and too crafty for anyone in between. He carves up zones, sheds tackles after the catch and turns simple touches into chunk plays. Bowers is a mismatch machine built to deliver explosive Sundays.

Bowers got a huge endorsement in his rookie year when the man many consider the greatest TE of all time, Rob Gronkowski, said he's shaping up to be the next great one. "I feel like he's on track to be better than myself. … overall as a pass-catching tight end, I think he can surpass me in many situations," he said.

The top tight end drafted in 2024, Bowers is as versatile as they come at the position. He's a steady pass-catcher, grinding run blocker, and can make plays as a ball-carrier. "Brock is different," coach Antonio Pierce said. "He's a tight end, because that's what he's labeled as, but he can play all over the field."

Bowers just might have been the brightest light in all of Las Vegas in 2024. Looking every bit like the game's next great tight end, he became the Raiders' primary offensive target before he was halfway through his rookie season. He averaged eight catches per game in the month of October.

The Raiders face a dilemma when scheming up Bowers. They can let him showcase his pass-catching or use him to excite as an A-plus blocker. That penalty is certainly a good problem to have and the second tight end decision.

Some players just look like professional football players. Like, have you seen Bowers? With his 6-foot-3 height and heavily muscled frame, the well-built tight end would be out of place in any other field of work. The NFL archetype further cements his role as a pro with top-tier talents.