Brock Bowers Had a Down Year. NFL Insiders Still Call Him the Best Tight End in Football.

Brock Bowers didn’t have a bad season in 2025. But compared to the ridiculous rookie year he put together, it felt like one. Bowers caught 64 passes for 680 yards and seven touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl. And yet the conversation around him shifted, because his first year in the league set an impossibly high bar: 112 catches, 1,194 yards, five touchdowns. That was a top-five all-time rookie season for a tight end.

The reality is more complicated. Bowers played through a knee injury that kept him out of five games. The Raiders quarterback situation was a mess. Las Vegas ended up with the No. 1 overall pick, which tells you everything about the offense as a whole. So when ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler polled NFL executives, coaches and scouts this offseason about who the top tight end in the league is, Bowers still got the nod.

“As far as route running, separation, zone instincts, yards-after-catch ability combination — he’s better than the field in those areas,” one NFL coordinator told Fowler. “A down year won’t change that.”

That kind of praise matters. Teams don’t typically give a tight end that kind of credit unless they see something others don’t. Bowers can line up in the slot, split out wide, or even take a handoff from the backfield. He hit 19.58 mph on a 57-yard touchdown against Denver in 2024, per NFL Next Gen Stats. That’s legit breakaway speed for a guy his size.

What changed in 2025

The knee was the obvious thing. Bowers tried to play through it but the Raiders shut him down for stretches. When he was on the field, the quarterback play was inconsistent at best. Las Vegas started multiple guys under center and none of them could consistently get Bowers the ball downfield the way the offense needed. That’s not an excuse. It’s context.

Now the Raiders have Francisco Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. He might not start Week 1, but he’s the future. And when Mendoza does take over, Bowers becomes his most dangerous weapon. The connection should be immediate. Mendoza has the arm to push the ball deep and Bowers is at his best when he’s running past linebackers or breaking tackles on drag routes.

The bottom line on Bowers

Bowers is still just 22 years old. The knee injury isn’t considered a long-term issue. The quarterback situation can only get better. If anything, a down year might have reminded people how special his rookie season really was. The league hasn’t forgotten. And once Mendoza starts throwing his way, nobody will need a reminder.