Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce Bullish on Star Rookie’s Role

The former University of Georgia playmaker and No. 13 overall pick in this spring’s draft, lands in a tight end room that already includes Michael Mayer, and Harrison Bryant.

Las Vegas Raiders Have Potent Tight End Duo with Brock Bowers

But, Pierce believes Bowers can line up all over the field.

“This is different,” Pierce said, according to ESPN. “You’re talking about [two] skill players who can catch the ball, who can come out the backfield, who can do a lot of different things for you, and you see it. Kansas City does it a lot with their tight ends.”

Bowers caught 175 passes across three seasons in Athens, for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns, while averaging a healthy 10.2 yards per reception.

Now Bowers and Mayer — chosen out of Notre Dame in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, have the chance to develop into reliable pass-catchers and security blankets for whoever winds up being behind center for the Raiders this fall.

“When you look at our guys, both of them can do a lot of things for you,” Pierce said. “You can line them up … in the slot, at the No. 1 wide receiver, you can put them in line, you can put them in pairs. But more importantly, who’s matching up on the other side against us? Is it a linebacker? Is it a safety? Is it a nickel? Is it a corner?

“We’re fortunate to have two tight ends on our roster that in the last four years of college football were pretty much the best two, and … hopefully that creates issues. It’s going to create issues for us at practice … In our division, we’ve got some really good tight ends, so it’ll be good reps for us as well.”