Brock Bowers

The arrival of Pete Carroll and Geno Smith create doubt as to whether Brock Bowers falls like Sam LaPorta did last year. The Raiders do not have a Amon Ra-St.Brown and Jameson Williams to stop Bowers playing to a high level though. Safe, but not as safe as you would hope.

How will new OC Chip Kelly want to run the Raiders offense, and how will that differ, if at all, for Brock Bowers in his second year? Can we expect more of the same, or is there a chance for a drop-off in production?

Not sold Bowers separates enough from McBride and Kittle to justify passing on running backs and wide receivers who can anchor your roster. 

Here and in the 2024 RSP, I said if Sam LaPorta knocked on Mike Ditka's door that guarded the title of most productive rookie year ever for a tight end, Brock Bowers was the most likely to knock the door down. 

Here we are. 

Geno Smith is an upgrade at QB and Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton aren't threats to steal significant targets from Bowers. The second-year TE is the primary option in this passing game.

Expect a top-three season from Bowers at his position -- and that's if you're a pessimist. 

Transcendent talent. A player to draft no matter the cost. Elite prospect dominated as a rookie, leading the position in targets (153), receptions (112), and receiving yards (1,194) while also ranking fourth at the position in yards per route run (2.02). He ranked tenth in targets per game (9) and 17th in receiving yards per game (71.5) in the entire NFL.

After a historic rookie season, the only question is whether or not he can repeat. At his current ADP, that is clearly what drafters are expecting. The Raiders will be better at quarterback and should have a more fantasy-friendly offense, so he has a good shot at possibly even improving on his 2024 season.

He didn't need to dominate his team's target share to be the TE1 last year. Vegas should be more balanced with Ashton Jeanty. Still, Geno Smith is an upgrade at quarterback, and Bowers' advanced metrics are among the best at the position. He's a sure-fire top-three TE.