Raiders getting Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer to play at an elite level together will be a game-by-game process
It all began at pick No. 8. The Atlanta Falcons , with a strategic move that left us all in awe, prevented the Las Vegas Raiders from securing the quarterback they've been longing for. Despite their significant investment in Kirk Cousins through a fully guaranteed contract until 2025, the Falcons opted to draft quarterback Michael […]
It all began at pick No. 8. The Atlanta Falcons , with a strategic move that left us all in awe, prevented the Las Vegas Raiders from securing the quarterback they've been longing for. Despite their significant investment in Kirk Cousins through a fully guaranteed contract until 2025, the Falcons opted to draft quarterback Michael Penix at No. 8, a decision that is really weird and doesn't make much sense at all.
The Raiders, despite their initial disappointment of not securing their top prospect QB Jayden Daniels, who was picked No. 2 by the Washington Commanders, demonstrated their adaptability. They swiftly shifted their focus to reassess their strategy and consider other positions, a testament to their resilience and ability to navigate unexpected situations.
The Raiders then took tight end Brock Bowers, who was the best available at the time. He is widely regarded as the best overall player in the draft, just playing a position people don't value as much. The shock came because the Raiders drafted tight end Michael Mayer last season in the early second round.
Now, they find themselves with college football's two best tight ends the last two seasons, and that's not a bad problem to have, especially in the 12 personnel offense that new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy will be running. However, making it work is something that won't happen immediately.
"A lot of that stuff will be determined game-by-game," tight ends coach Luke Steckel said. "I'm very fortunate because I have some great players in our room and can use the skill sets of both because I think they match well off of each other. And really, it's all the way down to one through six. We have six great tight ends in our room, and they all have a versatile skill set, so it's just going to be on a week-to-week basis how we can use them best to attack what the defense is showing on film.
"But it's nice when you have guys that have that versatility. Mike can do a lot of things. Brock can do a lot of things. The rest of the tight ends have a very defined and versatile skill set, so I'm excited once we do get to the season of seeing how we can pair those guys and work through it, but yeah, excited to have both those guys in our room."
The Raiders' new offense should be much better for their personnel and then run right; it can be exceptional and nearly unstoppable. But don't expect that right away. This offense will be a process, as will getting both tight ends to play at an elite level quickly.
Instant analysis from the Las Vegas Raiders drafting tight end Brock Bowers in 2024 NFL Draft
The Raiders snagged one of the draft’s best players.
