Raiders OC suggests rookie TE could become immediate difference-maker
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers speaks to the media at Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, NV.
Many were baffled when the Raiders took Georgia tight end Brock Bowers with the 13th overall pick in the draft. However, Las Vegas offensive coordinator Luke Getsy seems to think it was a smart choice.
"Brock's a unique guy," Getsy said in a Tuesday news conference. "I think it's been said here plenty of times, he was probably the best player in the SEC for some time while [he] was there, and he won a bunch of games. Anytime you can bring that type of caliber player into your organization, you're going to get better."
In three seasons at Georgia, Bowers recorded 175 receptions for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdown catches. He won the John Mackey Award twice as the best TE in college football.
Heading into the draft, TE didn't seem like the Raiders' biggest need. In 2023, they selected Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer in the second round, who caught 27 passes for 304 yards and two TDs in 14 games.
Bowers may be more versatile than Mayer, which could be one reason the Raiders drafted him. At Georgia, Bowers rushed for five TDs.
It appears Getsy plans to scheme around Bowers' ability to line up in different spots. On Tuesday, the Raiders X account shared a clip of the 21-year-old TE taking a handoff off of a sweep.
"This league is about finding as many dynamic guys as you can get on your team. I mean, that's the goal," Getsy said. "As you see the construction of all these teams in the league, everyone's trying to find those dynamic differences. And I think he's just one of those elements that gives us an opportunity to do a bunch of different things."
Perhaps Bowers will become an instant playmaker for the Raiders and provide a spark. Last season, Vegas finished 23rd in the league in points scored (332).
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