The Las Vegas Raiders have two stars who made this list, and both names are somewhat surprising.
The Las Vegas Raiders added some star power when they drafted quarterback Fernando Mendoza back in April, and both Mendoza and tight end Brock Bowers made the annual Rising Stars list that was released earlier this week by the NFL Players Association, according to a report from Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.
This list can be divided into two basic categories. There are ten rookies on the list that the NFLPA projects to be future members of the Top 50 listof licensed player product sales, according to Alper. Mendoza is No. 1 among the rookies, and the NFL projects him to be a future member of the Top 50 list of licensed player product sales.
The other category is about a list of ten players with NFL experience who haven’t been on the Top 50 to date, and that’s the list Bower is on. It’s led by New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough.
Mendoza is followed on the list by Dallas Cowboys safety Caleb Downs, Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love, Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon, Washington Commanders linebacker Sonny Styles, Saints wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, New York Giants linebacker Arvell Reese, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane and Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher Rueben Bain.
Mendoza will almost certainly continue to lead the rookies, as the Raiders have already featured him on billboards locally. His success after that will depend on a combination of how quickly he gets on the field as the starter and how well Raiders do early in the season.
Bowers was on track to make this list as a rookie, but his jump was delayed by injuries and the Raiders’ struggles last season.
The list of veterans also includes Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane, Buffalo Bills running back James Cook and New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
Bowers’ formula for financial success is very different. He’s already established himself as a young player who can produce, but Bowers is playing for a new coach in Klint Kubiak, not to mention catching passes from two new quarterbacks in Mendoza and Kirk Cousins.
The good news is that he’s expected to be prominently featured in the Raiders offense, and given the lack of established players in the group around him, he could be the only viable option those quarterbacks have.
