The Raiders have their top 2024 draftee under contract. The team and tight end Brock Bowers came to terms on his four-year rookie contract Thursday, checking off a notable box off the team’s offseason checklist.
Bowers’ deal can run through 2028 via the fifth-year option, a decision that Raiders will be in line to make during the 2027 offseason. The Raiders chose Bowers 13th overall, selecting the Georgia tight end despite having traded up for Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer early in last year’s second round.
Closely linked to a Jayden Daniels trade-up effort, the Raiders were also interested in Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons selecting the Washington quarterback at No. 8 surprised most and led to a scenario in which the Raiders were shut out of the first-round QBs, as the Broncos stopped the six-passer run by drafting Bo Nix at No. 12. With the Raiders in need of a QB and lurking at No. 13, the Broncos did not view it as safe — based on their need — to trade down for a shot at grabbing Nix later.
As for the Raiders, they nabbed one of this draft’s top skill-position prospects in Bowers. An interesting storyline developed in the aftermath of Las Vegas adding this draft top tight end. Terrion Arnold, who went 24th to the Lions, said during an appearance on The Next Round (video link) Antonio Pierce informed him the Raiders determined their Bowers investment — a Bowers-or-Arnold decision, per Arnold — on a coin flip. Raiders assistant GM Champ Kelly did not confirm or deny that rumor, but Pierce (via ESPN’s Ryan Clark) did shoot down Arnold’s recount of the Raiders’ first-round decision. Pierce also denied speaking with Arnold during the draft.
Pierce said as soon as both J.J. McCarthy and Nix went off the board, the team agreed on Bowers as the selection. The team viewed a value gap between the Daniels-Caleb Williams–Drake Maye tier and the McCarthy-Penix-Nix trio, helping to explain why the Raiders stayed at No. 13 after Daniels went off the board.
