The rookie first-round pick has had a dominant season for Las Vegas.
Brock Bowers is having a rookie season for the ages.
The Las Vegas Raiders tight end continued his impressive campaign in Week 17 by breaking two rookie receiving records.
First, Bowers surpassed Mike Ditka’s 1961 record for receiving yards in a season by a rookie tight end. His catch in the second quarter put him ahead of Ditka’s mark of 1,076 yards, breaking the 63-year-old record. Ditka played in 14 games as a rookie compared to 16 now for Bowers.
Late in the third quarter, Puka Nacua’s one-year-old record for receptions by a rookie was toppled by Bowers. His fifth catch of the day gave him 106 on the season, one more than Nacua’s mark set last year for the Los Angeles Rams.
While Bowers’ record over Ditka is secured for now, his receptions record is still in doubt. New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers entered Week 17 just four catches behind Bowers, so they could be battling for the record in Week 18.
Bowers was selected at No. 13 overall in April’s draft, but he’s been one of the few bright spots for Las Vegas this season. Even with a revolving door at quarterback from Gardner Minshew to Aidan O’Connell to Desmond Ridder, Bowers has been a consistent force.
The Raiders entered Week 17 at 3-12, firmly fighting for draft positioning. A potential new quarterback next season could make Bowers even better.
Raiders win over Saints proves disastrous for 2025 NFL Draft position
After beating the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, which dropped the Raiders from No. 1 to No. 6 entering Week 17, Las Vegas notched its second straight victory on Sunday against the Derek Carr-less New Orleans Saints, which we expected once Carr was ruled out on Friday, as rookie Spencer Rattler has struggled mightily.
And, thanks to losses by both the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets, who lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills respectively, the Raiders’ win means they’re sitting in the No. 8 spot entering Week 18, which is two spots lower than where they sitting going into Sunday, according to Tankathon.
The Raiders, Jaguars, Jets, Panthers and Bears all have four wins, but Las Vegas falls behind the Jags, Jets and Panthers because of their higher strength of schedule.
If the Raiders win next week, they could fall to No. 10 in the draft order depending on how things shake out with the Saints and Chicago Bears.
Of course, the Raiders could trade up to grab their quarterback, but the further they fall down in the draft order, the harder that will be. It’s also possible the Raiders will covet a quarterback not named Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders in their spot, but those two are the best ones coming out in next year’s draft and figure to be gone before the Raiders are on the clock at their current position.
The Raiders will draw the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18, but the Chargers have the option of sitting their starters after clinching a playoff berth in Week 17.
If the Raiders lose that game, they could move up, as there are seven teams in front of them with three or four wins.
Leave a Reply