Raiders tight end Brock Bowers is on pace to lead the NFL in receptions and shatter many of the league’s rookie tight end records, but he still only being given the third-best odds of winning the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
As of week 13, Washington’s Jayden Daniels and Denver’s Bo Nix remain the favorites to win the award, but it was Bowers who walked away with November’s Offensive Rookie of the Month.
On Thursday, the NFL released its monthly awards, and the announcement included the following statement on Bowers:
“Bowers has been consistently stellar during a rookie campaign that’s shaping up to be a historic season. After November, Bowers leads the NFL with 84 receptions and is just two away from tying the NFL rookie catches record. This past month, he had 32 receptions to go with 349 receiving yards (87.3 per game) and three touchdowns.”
Daniels won the NFL’s September Rookie of the Month and Nix won the award in October. With Bowers winning in November, all three top candidates have claimed the award once.
For what it’s worth, Bowers would have practically locked down the OROY award in previous years. New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson won the award in 2022 with numbers barely ahead of where Bowers is after 12 games this year.
The decision to draft Bowers looks like good decision today, but it’s worth noting the pick drew criticism not long after the 2024 draft.
League insider Mike Sando quoted two NFL executives in May that believed it was a poor decision on the Raiders part to draft a tight end at pick 13.
“I think they were stuck once Atlanta took (Michael) Penix and they were like, ‘Oh, crap, we might not get a quarterback to fall to us,’ and they scrambled and took that kid,” an exec told Sando on the Bowers selection. “He is a good player, but a luxury item. I don’t like those kinds of picks unless you have everything else.”
“Bowers is not like Dalton Kincaid where you can create separation in the normal flow of the offense,” another exec said. “You have to move him. He would be ideal in San Francisco or Miami. Whereas Kincaid is special at the top of the route, Bowers is one-cut, catch it, break three tackles and he’s gone. Hopefully, they have a good plan for him because he can do some really unique things with the ball.”
x: @raidersbeat
I remember all the whining when we took him. The best pick we’ve made in decades.
Dalton Kincaid! Brock Bowers is in a class of his own