Brock Bowers gets the perfect respect he deserves from NFL executives and front offices, even after a down year
The Las Vegas Raiders have the best tight end in the NFL in Brock Bowers, and everyone knows it.
The Las Vegas Raiders have the best tight end in football, and now the rest of the league has confirmed it. Brock Bowers was voted the best tight end in the NFL by executives, coaches, and scouts in a recent ESPN poll, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The Raiders tight end earned the distinction despite playing through a difficult second season on the league’s worst offense, and Vegas must find a way to maximize him in 2026. One NFL coordinator described what makes Bowers special: “As far as route running, separation, zone instincts, yards after catchability, combination, he’s better than the field in those areas.”
Bowers’ second season wasn’t what it could have been
Bowers’ rookie year made it clear he was either the best tight end in the league or rapidly heading there. His second season told a different story on the surface. He dealt with multiple injuries that hindered his production throughout the year. Beyond the health issues, Bowers played on the worst team in football, behind a terrible offensive line and with terrible quarterback play. Everything around him struggled.
Even still, Bowers remained a threat on the field. That’s what separates elite players from good ones. The circumstances were as bad as they could get, and he still showed why the league’s decision-makers view him as the top player at his position.
The 2026 offense should unlock Bowers
The Raiders are better equipped to use Bowers this season. They have either quarterback Kirk Cousins or rookie Fernando Mendoza under center. They have running back Ashton Jeanty, a better offensive line with improved depth, and a wide receiver room that could take a step forward if the second-year players make the jump many expect.
Bowers can do it all. He’s the team’s best playmaker with or without the ball in his hands. He gets open, he can catch it downfield, and he’s made one-handed snags that remind you why he was considered a generational talent coming out of college. His blocking could still improve, but he’s already a decent contributor in that area.
Coach Klint Kubiak loves to run the football. Jeanty will serve as the engine of this offense. But when the Raiders aren’t handing the ball off, Bowers is the No. 1 option, and it shouldn’t be close. Kubiak is going to make it his mission to get Bowers the ball in 2026, and if he does that consistently, the offense should see real improvement.
The run game and Bowers go hand in hand
The key for Vegas is understanding how interconnected Bowers’ production and the running game truly are. A successful ground attack with Jeanty opens up the routes and mismatches Bowers thrives on. If the run game stalls, Bowers won’t see the same quality of looks, and the offense will struggle to sustain drives.
The Raiders have spent the offseason building around this concept. A better offensive line helps both the run game and pass protection. A legitimate quarterback gives Bowers a passer who can actually get him the ball in the spots where he’s most dangerous. The pieces are there in a way they weren’t last season. Now, Vegas just has to put it all together.