The Las Vegas Raiders surprisingly chose Brock Bowers with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but it paid off immediately. Although tight end is not seen as a high-value position, and the team had bigger holes to address, Bowers was an All-Pro and is now a pivotal piece of the future.
In Week 5, the Raiders will take on the Indianapolis Colts, who made a similar decision in this year's draft. They, despite having a handful of other spots to bolster, most notably quarterback, took Penn State tight end Tyler Warren with the No. 14 overall pick, and he, too, has been a revelation.
While Bowers is a bit faster and quicker, Warren had a solid inch and about 15 pounds on him. They are both high-volume tight ends who can have success in a variety of ways and through different alignments, and just like Bowers will cause headaches for Indianapolis, Warren will be a challenge for Las Vegas.
Colts' Tyler Warren is the closest thing to Raiders' Brock Bowers
Through the first four games of his NFL career, Warren has caught 19 passes for 263 yards. He has also run the ball four times for six yards, punching in one touchdown. This exceeds Bowers' production through the first quarter of his rookie year, as Warren has recorded more total yards and touchdowns.
There is an argument that Warren has even been more impactful because his team is 3-1. But Raider Nation knows that the Silver and Black's lack of success last season had nothing to do with Bowers and everything to do with the quarterback situation, making his debut season actually more impressive.
Both of these players can practically catch passes all over the field, but thus far, Warren has struggled on short routes over the middle, according to Pro Football Focus' advanced statistics. By contrast, there is no area where Bowers struggles, and short routes over the middle are his bread and butter.
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Regardless, Warren will be a tough cover for a Raiders secondary that has been a bit inconsistent this season and is prone to giving up big plays. While Las Vegas has a few potential nightmare matchups against Warren, it also boasts a strong trio of players who could help keep him in check.
Jamal Adams has been elite in coverage this season, recording a PFF coverage grade of 77.8. His fellow linebacker Germaine Pratt has also been solid, recording a 64.3 score, and 6-foot-3, 220-pound safety Jeremy Chinn, who spends plenty of time in the slot, would also be a good matchup.
If the Raiders get caught with middle linebackers like Devin White or Elandon Roberts on him, who have PFF coverage grades of 52.1 and 39.4 this season, respectively, that could be a disaster. The same could be true for slot corner Darnay Holmes, who has a coverage score of 52.0 and stands at just 5-foot-10.
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will have to get creative in how he defends Warren, while also keeping an eye out for elite Colts offensive weapons like Johnathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. It won't be easy for the Las Vegas defense in Week 5, as they face a Brock Bowers clone in Tyler Warren.