Brock Bowers‘ first NFL touchdown was a jaw-dropper.
Early in the first quarter against the Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew II tossed a slightly underthrown pass on a 1st-and-10 at Las Vegas’ 43-yard line. However, the rookie tight end leaped over Broncos safety P.J. Locke before taking it to the house for a 57-yard TD, giving the Raiders a 7-0 lead.
According to ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez, Bowers’ TD was the longest reception by a Raiders TE since Darren Waller caught a 75-yard pass against Denver in Week 17 of 2019.
It seemed puzzling when the Raiders took Bowers with the 13th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Vegas already had second-year TE Michael Mayer, so the position didn’t appear to be a massive need.
In his draft grades, CBS Sports analyst Pete Prisco gave Vegas a C for taking Bowers. The former Georgia Bulldog has proved the experts wrong thus far. Entering the matchup against the Broncos, he had 20 receptions for 216 yards.
Bank on Bowers receiving more targets throughout the season, especially after Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams recently requested a trade. On Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported trade talks involving the six-time Pro Bowler are expected to ramp up next week.
