It cannot be emphasized enough just how fortunate the Las Vegas Raiders were that Georgia tight end Brock Bowers fell into their lap with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Though not a position of need, then-general manager Tom Telesco made a luxury pick, and it's a good thing he did.
Bowers rewrote the history books as a rookie in 2024. His 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns also earned him a Pro Bowl nod and a spot on the All-Pro First Team. Many are expecting him to eclipse these numbers in 2025 with a better overall offensive situation.
However, EA Sports, the creators of the Madden video games, seem to think differently. On Thursday, they revealed the ratings for Madden NFL 26, and Bowers could not have been more disrespected in comparison to the league's other tight ends.
Brock Bowers given fifth-highest Madden rating among tight ends
George Kittle is the game's top tight end with an overall rating of 98. Between his blocking and pass-catching prowess, as well as his notoriety around the league, this rating makes sense. Most would expect Bowers, who beat him out for a First-Team All-Pro spot, to be right behind him.
Unfortunately, that spot belongs to the ever-aging and sharply declining Travis Kelce, who is firmly behind him with a rating of 93. Trey McBride and Mark Andrews earned ratings of 92 and 91, which means Bowers has the fifth-highest rating with 90 overall.
Not only is a rating of 90 too low for Bowers, but his spot in the pecking order among NFL tight ends needs to be reconciled. Bowers produced more across the board than Kelce or McBride, and Kittle and Andrews only had more touchdowns, but that is it.
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In no world should a First-Team All-Pro be the fifth-highest rated player at his position. It is understandable that Bowers is young and may still seem unproven, but there is not much more a rookie player can do than to be the best at his position right away.
Fortunately, NFL games are not won based on Madden ratings, and Bowers will dominate on the field like he did a year ago as a 78 overall. In fact, Bowers seems like the kind of person who is probably not even aware of his rating, so he cannot use it as fuel or a chip on his shoulder.
It may be frustrating for Raider Nation to see a player of his caliber get disrespected in the offseason, but once the games begin, there will be no doubting that Bowers is among the very elite tight ends in the league, and perhaps, the best already.