Raiders draft 2024: Does Brock Bowers make sense?

NFL.com connects Georgia star tight end to Las Vegas

There, of course, have been many players who have been connected to the Las Vegas Raiders in the first round of the upcoming NFL draft.

However, one of the players I haven’t seen speculated about much as the Raiders’ pick at No. 13 has been Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, Yet, that’s who Adam Rank of NFL.com thinks who should be the Raiders’ choice.

It’s a fascinating option. I’m not sure if I buy it as a prudent move, but there are intriguing aspects of a Bowers-Raiders fit.

Let’s look at some reasons for the Raiders to take Bowers and for them to bypass him (if he somehow even gets to No. 13).

Pros:

Assuming the Raiders wouldn’t make a trade up to take Bowers, the decision would be made at No. 13. There is a strong chance Bowers is on the board at No. 13. He’s been connected to the New York Jets at No. 10 and perhaps the Arizona Cardinals or Los Angeles Chargers if they trade down from No. 4 and No. 5, respectively. So, Bowers would provide great value at No. 13. Getting good players is the whole idea of the draft and team building so the Raiders wouldn’t be worse off if they add Bowers. If the Raiders’ starting quarterback is going to be either Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell, giving the offense another weapon would certainly help. Adding Bowers to an passing offense that features Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker and fellow tight end Michael Mayer would be pretty dynamic. The Raiders would be fun to watch with Bowers added to the offense and he and Mayer could be a fun tandem for a long time.

Cons:

Bowers would be a luxury pick. It’s kind of difficult for a team coming off of a losing record that has multiple immediate needs taking a luxury pick that high in the draft. Again, the best-available-player-over-needs approach is a good practice. But if there is good value at quarterback, offensive tackle or cornerback (and there should be, at least, with the tackles and cornerback) at No. 13, it may be difficult to justify taking a tight end just a year after the Raiders traded up to take Mayer in the second round.

What are your thoughts on the idea of the Raiders drafting Bowers?