The Las Vegas Raiders‘ wideout room has question marks, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have a No. 1 pass-catcher in Brock Bowers, who is one of the best players at his position.
Despite dealing with a lingering injury, Bowers still played 437 pass snaps, resulting in an overall PFF grade of 78.8. Moreover, he hauled in 64 receptions on 83 targets for 680 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
Bowers also averaged 10.6 yards per reception on the season while generating 296 yards after the catch. After a Year 2 that was impacted by injury, Bowers is looking for a healthy campaign in which the Raiders star replicates his record-setting rookie season.
One of the new players on the Silver and Black is Tyler Linderbaum, and the new center shared his first impressions of Bowers with OTAs ongoing.
“Brock’s awesome,” Linderbaum told reporters on May 28. “Brock’s got like that killer mindset in him. Doesn’t talk much, just goes out there and works. I’m surprised you guys even get him in here to talk.
“But he’s been awesome. Just seeing guys like that, a breath of fresh air, just how they operate, how they go about their business. You want guys like that on your team and that’s what you appreciate.”
As part of this rebuild, both players are building blocks for Las Vegas to turnaround and become contenders.
Raiders HC Gives Compelling Description on Brock Bowers
Bowers had 112 catches for 1,194 yards and scored five touchdowns in 17 games in his rookie season, per StatMuse. Moreover, it’s because of this production that new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak is high on Bowers.
Regarding Bowers, Kubiak issued an intriguing description of how he sees his tight end, even though the Raiders head coach has yet to use him in a game.
“[Bowers] is kind of a football robot in a good way,” Kubiak told reporters. “He is a football robot from heaven. He is a Cadillac out there. We have to get the most out of Brock, wherever he goes. He has been successful in college and high school, whoever has coached him. You cannot say enough great things about him. I love his work ethic. He is a standard-bearer.”
Brock Bowers Could Have Big Season Under Klint Kubiak
Speaking of Bowers, ahead of his third season in the NFL, The Athletic’s Sam Warren sees a promising campaign for the tight end on the horizon under Kubiak, who has experience getting the most out of his tight ends.
“Injuries and inconsistent quarterback play led to a drop in production for Bowers in Year 2,” Warren wrote in an article on April 29. “But it was always going to be hard to top his record-setting rookie season. Even with missing five games, Bowers was 10th among tight ends in receiving yards (680) and tied for fifth in touchdowns (seven).
“Kubiak has gotten good production out of his tight ends at each of his stops, and Bowers will be the first elite one the coach has worked with since George Kittle in San Francisco. As long as Bowers remains healthy, he could have a big year under his new head coach.”
Raiders’ Tyler Linderbaum Doesn’t Hold Back on Brock Bowers