Key Takeaways

• As a rookie, Brock Bowers leads tight ends in catches and targets
• Bowers displays Kelce-esque route improvisation
• Gardner Minshew’s high volume passing benefits Bowers

Folks, the Brock Bowers hype is real. The Raiders’ 2024 first-round pick has blown the ceiling off any perceived rookie limitations and is well on his way to a legitimate breakout campaign. But let’s not stop there. Bowers is already the league’s best NFL Fantasy Football tight end option just two games into his NFL career.

The Georgia product was deemed a generational prospect at tight end after a decorated collegiate career saw him win the John Mackey award as the nation’s best tight end twice, in addition to being a two-time first-team All American. Not to mention the back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022.

Bowers impressed in Raiders’ camp throughout the spring and looked every bit the part, but the hype train had to stop for repair as he then missed most of the preseason after suffering a foot injury against the Vikings on August 11. Since his return and subsequent performance in his first two games, the hype feels every bit justified. And then some.

Bowers’ Target Share

He’s getting all the targets not going to Davante Adams

Through the first two weeks of the season, Bowers leads all tight ends with both 15 catches and 17 targets. It’s been an even balance in terms of targets throughout the first two weeks, with Bowers receiving 8 in his NFL debut against the Chargers and 9 on Sunday against the Ravens.

To sweeten the deal, Bowers caught all 9 of those targets in Sunday’s win, with many coming in crucial moments of the game. That’s a good sign that he will be Gardner Minshew’s safety valve moving forward.

It should also be considered that Bowers missed the back half of the preseason and that this heavy target share has already come in his first two career regular-season games, regardless. All indications point toward that target share increasing, and it’s not unfathomable that Bowers could reliably get upwards of 12 targets in weeks when the Raiders are relying heavily on their pass attack. That could certainly happen often this season if the Raiders continue to struggle running the ball.

GIVEMESPORT Key Stat: Brock Bowers leads NFL tight ends in targets (17), catches (15), yards (156) and plays of 20+ yards (3).

The presence of 2023 first-round pick Michael Mayer in the tight end room is also of little concern to Bowers’ fantasy potential. His total snap numbers aren’t so far off from Bowers as the Raiders often run two tight end sets, but their target share isn’t even close. Mayer has received 4 throughout the first two weeks compared to Bowers’ 17.

Generational Traits

The next Travis Kelce?

Perhaps the most impressive part of Bowers’ performance on Sunday was his exhibition of Travis Kelce-esque ability to freestyle routes while Gardner Minshew II had to extend the play. This creativity resulted in a few completely off-script targets that again bode well for Bowers’ proficiency as the safety valve for the Raiders.

One of these plays came during a crucial moment in the third quarter, as the Raiders were driving deep into Baltimore territory, trailing 16-6 in the third quarter. Bowers ran a vertical route to the end zone but saw that Minshew had to escape a collapsing pocket.

Bowers then reversed course on his route and ran back toward Minshew to an open space inside the 10-yard line where Minshew could connect with him for a big gain that put the Raiders in position for a momentum-flipping touchdown.

The fact that Bowers not only had the wherewithal to break from his route to bail out Minshew but also that Minshew had enough trust in the rookie to let it fly is a great sign of Bowers’ fantasy outlook as a rookie. That kind of trust takes years for quarterbacks to develop in their receivers, and Bowers and Minshew have already exhibited it in their first games together.

High Volume Passing Offense

Minshew is Mr. Efficiency

We all know that a tight end or receiver can only go as far as their quarterback takes them in fantasy. A legitimate concern for Davante Adams potential as an early round draft pick were questions about just how competent Minshew could be at QB. It’s only fair those concerns extended to Bowers.

To this point, Minshew leads the NFL in completions (55) and completion percentage (77.5%). These aren’t exactly dink-and-dunk completions either as Minshew is also second in the league in passing yards with 533. In fairness, until the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game these numbers hadn’t really translated to touchdowns but if Minshew continues to play with the bravado he did in that quarter then things are only looking upwards.