The Las Vegas Raiders has selected tight end Brock Bowers out of Georgia with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Brock Bowers came into this draft as one of the most talented, sure-fire prospects there was, a definite first-rounder. That shouldn't come as too surprising considering his family background. His mother was an All-American softball player at Utah State University who was inducted into the school's athletic Hall of Fame, while his father was an All-Big West center for the Aggies. His sister plays softball for Sacramento State.
As talented as Bowers is, the initial problem determining his team destination was that there weren't going to be a ton of terribly needy tight end teams in this draft, at least early in the first round. And even if there were, they all had more pressing needs elsewhere. But Bowers was just too good to pass up, as was proven by the Raiders, who selected him with the No. 13 pick.
Here is everything you need to know about Brock Bowers, the Raiders first-round pick and new tight end.
Brock Bower's pre-college football career
Born in Napa, California, he eventually attended Napa High School where he was a two-sport athlete playing football and basketball. His freshman season he played quarterback for the junior varsity team. But by his sophomore year, he was playing tight end and linebacker.
The 2019 Nike Sparq camp changed everything for Bowers, according to Ross Dellenger at SI. He wowed a number of college scouts that day, where he walked in with just one offer from Nevada, but walked out with about a dozen more. It was his impressive 40-yard dash time of 4.5 seconds that is still talked about.
His junior season was record-setting, as he accounted for 1,499 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdown receptions, all of which helped Napa reach the playoffs. That earned him the honor of being named the Napa County Player of the Year. He then entered his senior season as pre-season All-American but due to the pandemic and California restrictions, Napa's season was canceled.
Brock Bower's college football career
A consensus four-star out of high school, Bowers ranked as the No. 59 overall player in the class of 2022. He ranked as the No. 2 tight end and No. 3 player in the state of Florida, per 247Sports. Out of all his offers, he eventually chose head coach Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs.
As a three-year starter, Bowers led the Bulldogs in receiving yards every year. He also helped Georgia win its first national title since 1980, and then helped them repeat the following year in 2022. Bowers finished his career at Georgia with 175 receptions, 2,538 receiving yards, and 31 scores. He's a two-time John Mackey Award winner, 2023 Unanimous All-American, 2022 first-team All-American, SEC Freshman of the Year, and three-time first-team All-SEC.
Brock Bower's NFL Draft fit with the Raiders
Bowers could have found his way onto about any team in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. That's how talented he is. Need or not, you can find a place for a talent of his caliber. For the Raiders, after losing out on every first round quarterback, getting Bowers at No. 13 seemed like the best course of action.
Bowers will be of much-needed help for presumed starting quarterback Aidan O'Connell this upcoming season. He'll join Davante Adams as the best options for O'Connell and Las Vegas' offense.
While this has to be frustrating for the Raiders, as they were likely believing that one of the six quarterbacks would be available with their pick, Bowers is no slouch. He will likely dominate the middle of the field and could easily become one of the top tight ends in the league, even early on.
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