One of the biggest questions surrounding the Raiders now is how newly drafted tight end Brock Bowers will fit with Michael Mayer. The Raiders used a very early second-round pick on Mayer last year, and the expectation was that he would have an even bigger role this year.
In a recent article by The Athletic, they wrote about the potential fit between Bowers and Mayer, now that they are both on the Raiders. Here is a snippet of their thoughts on the pairing:
Bowers is a tight end, but he also has the versatility to line up as a slot receiver and true outside receiver. He’ll form a tight end duo with Mayer, who the Raiders drafted in the second round last year.
Bowers is a smaller tight end — 6-foot-3, 243 pounds — and didn’t display the skill set to be an effective blocker as an inline tight end in college, so those duties will likely fall on the shoulders of Mayer, who’s 6-4, 265 pounds and showed improvement as a blocker late last season. For this pick to be worth it, though, Bowers has to grow into an every-down player.
Having two tight ends like this might feel redundant, but they are completely different players. Bowers is more likely to line up in the slot, replacing Hunter Renfrow. And Mayer will be the tight end that never leaves the field. We could even see sets with Bowers in the backfield, lining up as an H-back.
It will be fascinating to see how Luke Getsy uses both players, but expect them to be on the field together a lot during the 2024 season.
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