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NFL Draft: Raiders don't get a 1st round QB, but get elite TE prospect Brock Bowers

By Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports

FILE - Georgia tight end Brock Bowers (19) leaps over TCU safety Millard Bradford (28) during the second half of the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. In three seasons at Georgia, Bowers caught 175 passes for 2,538 yards in 40 games and scored 31 total touchdowns with five of them coming as a runner as the Bulldogs did whatever they could to get the ball in his hands. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File) (Ashley Landis/AP)

By Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports

The tight ends for the teams in the NFL's conference championship games last season were Mark Andrews, Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Sam LaPorta. It's arguable those are the four best tight ends in the NFL.

Those tight ends weren't the only reason their teams made the NFL's final four, of course. But it shows the impact having a top tight end can have.

In this year's NFL Draft class, there was only one tight end that was considered a potential star: Georgia's Brock Bowers. Bowers went to the Las Vegas Raiders with the 13th overall pick. It might have felt like a concession after the quarterback-needy Raiders saw six quarterbacks go in the top 12 picks, but they do come away with one of the most accomplished college tight ends ever.

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If Bowers is as good as his college career indicates he can be, he can have a huge impact right away.

Brock Bowers had exceptional college career

Last season, LaPorta helped give a big boost to the Detroit Lions' offense. He had 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was a big reason the Lions ended up in the NFC championship game.

It's rare for a tight end to make that type of impact as a rookie, but a lot will be expected from Bowers.

Bowers won the John Mackey Award, given to the best tight end in college football, in 2022 and again in 2023. He's the first two-time winner of that award. And 2021 might have been Bowers' best college season, when he had 882 yards and 13 touchdowns. He had 13 touchdowns in 2022 and 2023 combined.

No matter the stat, Bowers excelled and did so on a highly successful Georgia team in the tough SEC. He isn't a great blocker, but he projected as a versatile piece for any NFL team in the passing game. Only two tight ends, Mike Ditka and Kyle Pitts, had 1,000 yards as a rookie. It will be tough for Bowers to reach that mark, but he has the talent to make a run at it.

Having a top tight end is a valuable asset in the NFL. And Bowers has a shot to be one of the best in the league. The Raiders just need to figure out who will be throwing him the ball over the long term.

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