Brock Bowers displays flashes of brilliance in record-breaking rookie season

The Las Vegas Raiders rookie tight end had a dream start to his pro football career. The collegiate John Mackey Award winner picked up in Sin City from where he left off in Athens.

After all, he lit the NFL on fire.

In his first season, the 22-year-old Georgia product broke three records:

  1. Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka’s 63-year-old mark for most receiving yards in a season by a rookie tight end.
  2. New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers’ record for most catches by a rookie (also set also this season)
  3. Fellow tight end Darren Waller’s Raiders franchise record for most catches in a season (set in 2020)

Based on his achievements, the California native has the potential to have an outstanding NFL career.

The last tight end drafted to have similar numbers was Kyle Pitts, and Bowers was significantly better.

Brock Bowers vs Kyle Pitts

Pitts recorded 1,026 receiving yards in his 2021 rookie season for the Atlanta Falcons, while Bowers recorded 1,194 yards. That’s a difference of 168 yards.

Bowers also was able to keep the offense going for Las Vegas, as he had 61 first downs this season, while Pitts was only able to move the chains 43 times during his freshman campaign.

Despite being a rookie, Bowers was 20th in blocking snaps amongst tight ends. According to Pro Football Focus, he has an offensive rating of 84.7, the third-highest for the big receivers, which was better than the likes of Travis Kelce, Sam LaPorta, Mark Andrews, etc.

While the 2021 Falcons and the 2024 Raiders were cursed with poor offensive lines, Pitts did at least benefit with the services of former NFC Champion Matt Ryan. When targeting Pitts, Ryan had a passer rating of just 78.6.

As for Raiders subpar signal callers when targeting Bowers? 95.9.

If that wasn’t enough, unlike Pitts, Bowers had a PFF receiver rating in the 90s for short, medium and deep-depth receptions

The Raiders’ quarterback room has been so underwhelming that there have been talks about Vegas selecting a quarterback in the upcoming draft.

Who knows? Depending on how that pans out, it may just elevate Bowers sophomore season to the next level.

For now, the two-time national champion can enjoy the limelight at the upcoming Pro Bowl.

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