For the second year in a row, Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers was voted the top at his position by executives, coaches and scouts.
The Las Vegas Raiders may have had a rough 2025 season, but it allowed them to improve dramatically during the offseason in multiple ways.
A brand-new coaching staff, headlined by Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator and now head coach Klint Kubiak, several talented free agent acquisitions and a great draft that brought in the Heisman Trophy winner.
It’s a fun and exciting time to be a Raiders fan, and not just because of what was mentioned above. Las Vegas already had several premier players on the roster, like star edge rusher Maxx Crosby and explosive dual-threat running back Ashton Jeanty. However, the most premier player on the roster is tight end Brock Bowers.
Bowers has been incredible since joining the National Football League in 2024. He earned First-Team All-Pro honors in his rookie season after catching 112 passes for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns in 17 games, finishing second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Last season, Bowers dealt with a knee injury that forced him to miss five games, but he still put together a solid season that saw him haul in 64 receptions for 680 yards and seven touchdowns. He had a 74.4 catch percentage but saw a decrease in yards per game due to poor quarterback play.
While the eye test will support the statement that he is the best tight end in football, his peers also believe that he is the top player at his position.
ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches and scouts to vote on their top 10 players at tight end and when it all averaged out, Bowers beat out Arizona Cardinals TE Trey McBride for the top spot.
“As far as route running, separation, zone instincts, yards-after-catch ability combination -- he's better than the field in those areas,” one NFL coordinator said about Bowers. “A down year won't change that.”
He may be more offensive-minded and less of a blocker, but he is fully capable of that duty, even if he assumes the role of being the No. 1 pass-catcher.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted that Bowers is so great that teams will put their top cornerback on him in an attempt to slow him down, something the Denver Broncos has done with Pat Surtain II.
When your tight end moves at nearly 20 mph and can do things the most talented wide receiver can do, chances are he’s an athletic anomaly.
“People inside the league love Bowers' versatility as an offensive chess piece. He can line up in the slot, out wide or even as a fullback,” Fowler wrote Friday. “He has breakaway speed, too, pushing a top speed of 19.58 mph on a 57-yard touchdown vs. Denver in 2024, per NFL Next Gen Stats.”
Bowers should thrive as the top target for rookie QB Fernando Mendoza (and Kirk Cousins, if he’s named the starter) and continue elevating his game in 2026.
