The Las Vegas Raiders drafted an offensive rookie of the year award finalist last year at 13th overall in Brock Bowers. In a draft class where they needed a quarterback desperately, they decided not to reach on a prospect that wasn't deserving of a first-round pick and instead chose the best player available.
A year later, that decision looks even better than it did back then. Now, the Raiders' stock is up, and Bowers plays a huge role in that. He was arguably the best tight end in the NFL as a rookie and has the potential to make his mark on the league next season.
One thing that Raiders Nation should be wary of is the dreaded sophomore slump that seems to affect players across all sports, the NFL included. A recent example of this is Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud.
Stroud had a historic rookie season, just like Bowers, and it looked like he was destined to take the Texans to the playoffs every season in a meaningful way. Last season, he went through a sophomore slump, and while they did make the playoffs, they were never in any serious conversations about contending for a Super Bowl or even making it past the first round.
The expectations surrounding a franchise quarterback and a tight end are much different, but Bowers was in the top ten in receiving yards last season among all players. He didn't just have a good season for a rookie tight end, he had a good season amongst wide receivers and premier offensive weapons.
Additionally, he did this with subpar quarterback play, and now that the Raiders have Geno Smith, there should be no excuse as to why Bowers can't make that jump and solidify himself as the best tight end in the NFL.
Cody Benjamin is a sports writer for CBS Sports, and he recently published an article where he discusses whether or not he believes players will fall into the sophomore slump or not. He predicts his production will decline a bit, but not due to his talent, more so that the Raiders can't afford to feed him the ball at all times.
"Wide receivers aren't the only ones making instant splashes at the NFL level these days. Bowers was practically automatic as Las Vegas' No. 1 pass catcher in 2024, setting a rookie record with 112 catches on an offense otherwise plagued by quarterback shuffling.
He's still the Raiders' top outlet and now has a better quarterback in veteran Geno Smith; that's a recipe for continued stardom. Still, with Pete Carroll now running the show, Ashton Jeanty added as a featured back to propel the offense and Jack Bech drafted out wide, there might finally be more mouths to feed in silver and black".
His reasoning makes sense, and he probably won't get as many targets as he did his rookie year, but that doesn't mean that his impact on their offense will be any weaker. He still has a chance to prove himself to be the best tight end in the NFL, and even with an increased focus on their ground game, he could benefit from that with RPOs or play-action passes.
-1745568407-q80.webp "Top prospect Gabe Perreault reveals he's spending his offseason with former New York Rangers legend")
-1747015027-q80.webp "‘It’s A Special Day’: Mitch Marner, Maple Leafs Recognize Moms For Mother’s Day Ahead Of Game 4 Against Panthers")