The run on offensive players continues. The Raiders are out of options with respect to quarterbacks, so they have selected Georgia tight end Brock Bowers with the 13th pick. For the first time in NFL history, 13 straight picks have been used on players on one side of the ball.
Bowers racked up 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns during his three-year tenure with the Bulldogs. He played a key role in the team winning the national title in 2021 and ’22, and in the latter campaign he earned first-team All-American honors. Bowers took home the John Mackey award as the nation’s top tight end in each of the past two seasons, making him the only multi-time winner.
Considering his pass-catching ability and his position, Bowers was considered by most draft pundits to be an early first-round pick. There were some rumblings that he could land with the Jets with their first-round selection, but he ended up sliding to Las Vegas. Multiple pre-draft reports indicated a team would need to move into the top 10 to nab Bowers, but with six QBs going in the first 12 picks, the Raiders saw the standout SEC weapon fall to them.
Day 1 draft investments at the TE spot have generally not gone according to plan. Over the past 10 years, Kyle Pitts is the only one of the nine tight ends drafted in the first round to reach the 1,000-yard receiving mark. The Browns (David Njoku) are the only team to date to extend a homegrown player at the position during that span, although Pitts and 2023 Bills selection Dalton Kincaid are not yet eligible for a second contract.
Bowers should slide atop the Raiders depth chart. Michael Mayer is still around, and the team brought in Harrison Bryant as a veteran replacement for Austin Hooper. Considering Bowers’ offensive versatility, he could easily play alongside either of his two new teammates on the Raiders offense.
The Raiders were closely linked to Jayden Daniels throughout the pre-draft period, with Antonio Pierce — on Arizona State’s staff during Daniels’ time with the Pac-12 program — going so far as to bring up the Heisman winner with OC candidates. The Raiders contacted the Commanders — in a Hail Mary-type effort, given their draft proximity — about a trade. Washington never seemed close to moving the pick, leading to Raiders-Michael Penix Jr. connections. While some prominent mock drafts had Penix — a player previously uncertain to be chosen in the top half of Round 1 — going to Las Vegas at 13, Atlanta pulled off the stunner of the round by taking him eighth overall.
With the Vikings (J.J. McCarthy) and Broncos (Bo Nix) landing their passers, this left the Raiders without a chair. But a pre-draft report had indicated Pierce and GM Tom Telesco had differing views on a first-round trade-up maneuver, the latter’s outlook pointed to a belief Gardner Minshew could hold down the fort for at least a season. The Raiders gave Minshew a two-year, $25MM deal. He not only looks to have a clear path to the QB1 gig, but the Raiders are giving him a top-flight pass-catching prospect.
He is going to be good they will probably have a lot of 2 TE sets or the Mayer pick would be a waste.
Nifty pair of tight ends, weird as it looks team building wise.
Think of him as more of a pass catcher than a tight end. He’s not exclusive to playing on the line. He can the slot, out wide etc.
I really wanted him to fall to the Saints
Bruh insanity they actually did it!!! Hahah
Love the pick. Glad they didn’t go nuts like they normally do.
Tom doesn’t surprise, best player on the board and boosts the offense firepower.
So maybe the Raiders can be .500 like all of his Charger teams.
Everyone has officially lost their minds. You could have gotten so many other actual needs….SMH
Best player available. Usually the Raiders would not only ignore their needs, but take someone projected to be a mid 2nd round pick. Progress lol.
I agree. You don’t pass up a guy always mocked in the top-10, for someone rated 8-10 slots later. But I definitely would’ve considered moving back, depending on the offers.
I know. Every single defensive player left on the board, and you go for a tight end, lol. Clown city.
Why would we need a QB in a division where we face Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Bo Nix?
When you hire bad GMs, this is the kind of stuff that happens to you.
Wait for the rest of the story…..still 2 days to go. Then the UDFA sweepstakes…..might just find some satisfaction in the grocery bag
Everyone is hoping the grocery bad contains a wig Mark Davis can wear to improve on his haircut.
Has none of his surf buddies ever given him crapola about the hair? Not hard to believe he trims that himself, without a mirror!