Georgia TE Brock Bowers officially signs NFL rookie contract

The Raiders were not necessarily in the market for a tight end when they picked Bowers at 13th overall, but they knew they wanted a playmaker. And as a pass-catching tight end, Bowers is just that. 

This draft was the second year in a row that Las Vegas had selected a tight end. In 2023, they traded up in the second round to grab Notre Dame's Michael Mayer.

While Mayer is a solid tight end, he isn't Bowers. 

"We're looking to add more playmakers to the offense, and they come in all shapes and sizes, in all different positions," Raiders general manager Tom Telesco told ESPN after the draft. "And we love Michael Mayer -- I love Michael Mayer -- and he's a really good player. He's going to take another big jump this year. But you get a chance to add just another dimension to the offense, whether it's a tight end, hybrid receiver, whatever it is, you need more playmakers on that side of the ball.

"So, I think [Bowers is] really going to help us there, and I feel like he was a high-level player in college. A true junior, he's 21 years old, so he's very young still, still developing. But he has some natural football skills, combined with some high-level athletic ability and speed."

Bowers admitted he was "shocked" to hear his name called by the Raiders, however, it's a full circle moment for him since he grew up watching them train at his high school in Napa Valley.

"It's kind of cool how things come full circle like that and I remember going to watch them practice," Bowers said moments after he was selected. "It's cool how it all comes around."

Bowers was one of eight rookies selected by the Raiders in the 2024 NFL Draft.