NFL analyst is predicting the Las Vegas Raiders will get in 2026 what they desperately needed to have in 2025
The Las Vegas Raiders are entering the 2026 season with one of the league’s best tight ends, Brock Bowers.
The Las Vegas Raiders need Brock Bowers to reclaim his status as the best tight end in football, and there are real reasons to believe he will.
NFL analyst Eric Karabell recently projected a bounce-back season for Bowers, citing the significant upgrades Las Vegas made this offseason. After a sophomore campaign that fell short of his own standard, Bowers enters 2026 with a better quarterback, a better offensive line, and more weapons around him.
Bowers’ 2025 season would have been solid for most tight ends, but the expectations surrounding him are different. This is a player who looked like a generational talent as a rookie and who many consider one of the most gifted tight ends the league has ever seen. Bowers played through an injury from Week 1 onward, and it clearly limited what he could do on the field.
Beyond that, the Raiders’ offense around him was a problem. The quarterback play was poor, the offensive line struggled, and the receiving corps didn’t command enough attention from opposing defenses to free Bowers up.
Las Vegas has addressed the problems around Bowers
The Raiders spent this offseason attacking those issues. They drafted quarterback Fernando Mendoza with a top pick, immediately upgrading the position. Even if Kirk Cousins sees the field, both options represent a significant step forward from what Geno Smith provided last season.
“The Raiders greatly upgraded their QB situation with top draft pick Fernando Mendoza, and as long as Bowers stays healthy, he should return to numbers that are among the best, if not the best, for the position,” Karabell said.
The improvements extend beyond the quarterback. The offensive line received attention, and the wide receiver room added speed with Jalen Nailor. Michael Mayer should be healthy again, providing another pass-catching option.
The Raiders also bolstered the backfield by drafting Mike Washington Jr. as the backup running back, adding depth to the run game. A stronger ground attack forces defenses to respect the run, which opens up the middle of the field where Bowers does his best work.
Health remains the determining factor
That said, the receiving corps still carries questions. There are pieces, but there is a lot of unknown. Bowers will almost certainly function as the primary target in this offense, which means defenses will still key on him. The difference is that he should have enough complementary talent around him to prevent the kind of bracket coverage he saw too often last season.
The biggest variable is health. Bowers was banged up throughout 2025 and gutted through it because that’s the competitor he is. But playing at less than full strength made it difficult to evaluate his production fairly. When Bowers is right physically, the tape and the stats from his rookie year tell you everything you need to know about what he can do.
If Bowers stays healthy, there is no reason he can’t be the best tight end in the NFL again. The tools, the traits, and the talent have never been in question. Now the supporting cast around him has caught up.