Brock Bowers

There's no better tight end prospect than Brock Bowers in this class. Or perhaps ever as Bowers is regarded as the greatest college football tight end of all time.
The former Bulldog tight end broke out immediately in 2021, posting a 28% dominator rating in his first season as a true freshman with 13 TDs and 882 receiving yards. The Raiders drafted the top pass-catcher available on the board in tight end Brock Bowers, which I don't hate from a real-life perspective. But are we really honestly convinced that new LV OC Luke Getsy is going to create an offense that takes advantage of Bowers as a true big slot while feeding WRs Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers? Let alone in an offense that HC Antonio Pierce wants to run the ball 30-plus times per game? With Aidan O'Connell/Gardner Minshew at quarterback? We know that tight ends can be the most landing-dependent offensive pieces. Frankly, I just hate the spot with LV. Simply put, rookie tight ends need good QBs to produce.

Widely considered one of the best TE prospects to enter the league in recent years, Brock Bowers went to the Raiders with the 13th overall pick of the NFL Draft. The 6-4, 230-pound Bowers had at least 56 catches and 714 receiving yards in all three of his seasons at the University of Georgia. He also scored 31 touchdowns in 40 collegiate games, including five rushing touchdowns. Bowers has good speed, terrific hands, and he's an absolute best after the catch. He lacks prototypical TE size, but Bowers plays bigger than he measures. Although the Raiders have one of the shakier QB situations in the league and have a target-hog receiver in Davante Adams, Bowers should nevertheless become fantasy-relevant right away because of his extraordinary athleticism and pass-catching ability.

Bowers is an agile steamroller. He's incredibly hard to bring down. Georgia utilized him in motion with screens a ton, and for good reason. It was free yards essentially each play as the first defender usually tasked with bringing down Bowers failed at their assignment. He was second among all tight ends in missed tackles forced in 2023. He sheds defenders with ease in the open field with a combination of strong legs and upper body strength. Bowers was utilized all over the formation. Out wide (running go routes). In-line or in the slot where he was too quick for linebackers to hang with him and too physical for nickels to have a chance at shutting him down. In motion where, he mauled opponents with screen targets. Bowers flashes good body control with solid adjustments to back-shoulder throws and targets outside of his frame. He has exceptional change of direction and bend. He can beat zone coverage sitting down in between defenders or excel against man coverage. Since 2021, among all tight ends with at least 25 man coverage targets, he ranks 12th in yards per route run, immediately ahead of Michael Mayer. His hands are as good as they come, with only a 4.4% drop rate in college (eight drops across three seasons). As a blocker, Bowers is able to hold his patch of grass in pass protection. His functional play strength translates. He has a good initial punch with strong hands. He wasn't tasked with being isolated on blitzing linebackers, corners, or edges. On many plays, Bowers was asked to help seal the edge. He is a tenacious run blocker that can clear a path. He's not an elite blocker, but he should be able to play every down in the NFL with the ability to become one of the best blockers in the league if it all gels. Dynasty Outlook: This is a nightmare fuel landing spot. It's tough, but it's hard to pick a worse landing spot for Bowers. Ok, I know there could have been worse landing spots for the talented rookie, but there aren't many. Bowers got the draft capital that would usually automatically salivate. Still, the problem is that this is the same team that spent a second-round pick on Michael Mayer last draft cycle. Yes, it was largely different coaching staff and entirely different front office staff that made that pick, but Mayer will still compete with Bowers for snaps when the team is in 11 personnel. With that said, with only Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers highlighting the wide receiver room the Raiders may run a ton of their offense in 12 personnel. That would help both Bowers and Mayer. This situation feels eerily similar to the muddied depth chart that Dalton Kincaid was thrust into. It took Kincaid time to take over, but he eventually did. Many will take a similarly rosy outlook for Bowers, but there are some fundamental differences here. While we might hope for the best with Bowers' snap rate, the offensive ecosystem for Bowers stinks. An offense led by Josh Allen and one led by either Aidan O'Connell or Gardner Minshew won't have nearly the scoring potential. Also Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers are both proven target earners. OH, and also, why don't we toss on top of this bonfire the run-loving nature of Antonio Pierce as if everything previously stated wasn't enough? This putrid situation that this talented rookie has been thrust into has pushed him into the late first conversation in 1QB and Superflex formats.