Most teams don’t use two tight end sets more than 40-45 percent of the time. It’s hard to find a useful tight end, let alone two that can scare teams in the passing game. However, the Raiders are hoping they are one of those rare teams in 2024 with Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer both on the roster.
When the Raiders selected Bowers with the No. 13 pick, they knew they would have to get creative The good news is Bowers is used to playing with other quality tight ends, spending most of his career playing alongside Darnell Washington.
The Raiders are already deploying Bowers all over the field and that was evident during the team’s OTA session on Wednesday. According to Levi Edwards of Raiders.com, Bowers was used in several different days during the practice:
Brock Bowers could be seen doing a little bit of everything Wednesday morning. The tight end lined at in multiple spots in similar fashion to what he was accustomed to doing at Georgia, showcasing both his pass catching and rushing abilities. Overall, it was a good day for the tight end room, with big gains from Michael Mayer and John Samuel Shenker.
Mayer and Bowers were both fantastic college prospects, but they couldn’t be more different as players. Mayer is the traditional tight end who lines up on the line of scrimmage. Whereas Bowers is more of an H-back than a traditional tight end. He can play in the backfield, outside, and everywhere in between.
Look for the Raiders to do everything in their power to ensure that Bowers and Mayer are on the field together a ton in 2024. And don’t be surprised if the Raiders end up playing two or more tight ends on 50 percent of the snaps next year.
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