The Las Vegas Raiders surprised plenty of people during the 2024 NFL Draft when they selected Brock Bowers with the No. 13 overall pick.
But the surprise didn't have to do with where the Raiders drafted Bowers, who was widely considered the best tight end prospect to come out in years. Instead, it was because Las Vegas just drafted Michael Mayer in the second round the year before.
However, as we saw from his days in college, Bowers is not your average tight end thanks to his ability to dominate from anywhere on the field. Knowing that, there's room for both tight ends to thrive in the Raiders' offense.
Let's take a deeper dive and see what we can expect from Bowers in 2024.
Brock Bowers fantasy football outlook
Ceiling: TE1
Floor: TE2
As previously mentioned, Bowers can play anywhere on the field. This offseason we've seen him line up in the slot, on the boundary, inline and in the backfield at practice and during the preseason. We've also seen him take handoffs from the backfield in practice, giving him yet another avenue to get touches.
Adding to that, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy figures to use two tight end sets often. Combined with Bowers' versatility, there is going to be ample opportunity for both he and Mayer to eat.
That said, Bowers' upside is astronomically higher than Mayer's, as he is more of a traditional tight end. Bowers is a matchup nightmare with a borderline wide receiver skillset who will be a monster after the catch.
The biggest concern for the rookie is the Raiders' quarterback situation. Las Vegas is set to start Gardner Minshew, who is a serviceable starter, at best. Aidan O'Connell will relieve Minshew if he struggles, but he's no certainty, either.
On top of that, the Raiders have a crowded group of pass-catchers, with Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker and Mayer all expected to have roles.
The word generational talent gets thrown around loosely in this day and age, but Bowers truly has the skillset to live up to that label. That said, with the uncertainty of the quarterback situation and rookies in general, temper expectations with Bowers and consider him a TE2 with TE1 upside going into 2024.