Las Vegas Raiders Coach Doesn’t Hold Back About Rookie Brock Bowers

The Las Vegas Raiders are heading into the 2024 NFL season looking to get back to being a serious contender in the AFC. One of the biggest question marks entering the past offseason was whether or not they would bring back Antonio Pierce as their head coach. After a quick turnaround midseason to being a competitive team, Mark Davis and company decided to make Pierce the team’s head coach moving forward.

Entering the 2024 NFL Draft, no one knew what the Raiders were going to do. When all was said and done, they decided to go with Georgia standout tight end Brock Bowers.

While tight end was not a pressing need after they drafted Michael Mayer last offseason, Bowers will add a very powerful weapon to their offense. Whether Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell ends up as the team’s starter, they will have plenty of weapons to work with.

Recently, Pierce spoke out about the addition of Bowers and what the rookie tight end will bring to the Las Vegas Raiders’ offense.

“I mean, you’re talking about probably the most dynamic player in college football at that tight end position in a long time. It’s rare you get a guy like that [who] can line up as a slot receiver, see him in the backfield, reverses, catch the ball. But I think more importantly, [it’s] his toughness. Watching him block in the SEC, watching him get after guys, I mean that’s what impressed me. Just a gritty player, more importantly a winner, and he can help us score points.”

What Kind Of Impact Will Brock Bowers Make On The Las Vegas Raiders?

During the 2023 season with the Georgia Bulldogs, Bowers ended up catching 56 passes for 714 yards and six touchdowns. His production was not as high as it had been in years past, but he was still a major threat.

Standing in at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, Bowers has received quite a few comparisons to former NFL superstar Rob Gronkowski. Will he have that kind of impact on the Las Vegas Raiders? No one knows, but there is no question that he possesses the potential to be a massive impact player right off the bat.

What kind of impact will he have on the Raiders? Pierce and the coaching staff will be able to utilize one of the best two tight end sets in the NFL. Bowers and Mayer are going to create mismatch nightmares for every single opposing defense that they face.

Even if he doesn’t put up major statistics for himself individually, his ability to impact the game will stretch far beyond his personal numbers. Simply forcing defenses to stay honest and defend him will open up other areas of the offense.

As for a statistical prediction, we’ll project that Bowers will end up catching 40 passes for 600 yards and five touchdowns. Those numbers are solid for a rookie and will give him a great baseline to grow from in year two. He’ll make an impact immediately and give the Las Vegas Raiders a lot more options to work with offensively.

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