It probably shouldn't be all that surprising that Brock Bowers, widely considered one of the best playmakers in this year's rookie class and the 13th overall pick in the Draft – is good at football. But it brings me great joy to report to you all that Brock Bowers is good at football.
When the Raiders took Bowers in April, there was a fair amount of concern about how it'd work. Michael Mayer looked good at times during his rookie season in 2023, and they had just recently signed veteran tight end Harrison Bryant to a one-year deal in March. As it turns out, though, there's always room for good football players even if "someone else" also "plays the same position." And while teams haven't even started tackling each other yet, the first impressions of Bowers at training camp are overwhelmingly positive.
Cornerback Nate Hobbs has already called him "different" which is the maybe the second-best football compliment besides 'He's Him.'
#Raiders CB Nate Hobbs says Brock Bowers' speed can make the former Georgia star TE a matchup nightmare.
— Nick Walters (@nickwalt) July 29, 2024
"I had no clue. Usually when I get on a tight end I could let off or jog a little bit. With him, you got to be locked in because he's different." pic.twitter.com/VVq8XUlhv0
Some have even called him unguardable, which I'm not even sure is a real word. That's how good he's been!
Brock Bowers is a force here in redzone 1-on-1s.
— Logan Reever (@loganreever) July 26, 2024
3 straight back shoulder fades for TDs. Feels unguardable.#Raiders
And for those who may still be skeptical about how the Raiders are going to field a modern offense with three tight ends on the field, there's already at least a little evidence that the professional football coaches in charge of figuring that out have, in fact, figured it out.
Raiders confirm what we all knew: Brock Bowers is gonna get the easy stuff in the Raiders offense pic.twitter.com/9aact354KV
— Davis Mattek (@DavisMattek) July 30, 2024
So if you haven't already, let this blog be permission to let those expectations fly wildly out of control. Rookie of the Year doesn't go nearly far enough. First Team All-Pro? The best tight end in the AFC West? Offensive Player of the Year? The possibilities are endless now that we've seen him run routes at 75% speed. This is the part of the NFL calendar where anything's possible. Tell all your friends: Brock Bowers is for real, at least this week.