- Home
- >>Sports
- >>Sports Columns
- >>Ed Graney
Ed Graney
Raiders GM on drafting Brock Bowers: "We need more playmakers"
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. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
Georgia tight end Brock Bowers (19) catches a pass as Auburn safety Donovan Kaufman defends during the second half of an NCAA football game, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/ Butch Dill, File)
Georgia tight end Brock Bowers (19) makes a touchdown catch against TCU safety Abraham Camara (14) during the second half of the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco speaks during a news conference after the Raiders selected tight end Brock Bowers in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at Raiders Headquarters in Henderson. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco speaks during a news conference after the Raiders selected tight end Brock Bowers in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at Raiders Headquarters in Henderson. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
More Stories
ByEd Graney/Las Vegas Review-Journal
April 25, 2024 - 10:12 pm
Updated April 25, 2024 - 10:45 pm
It’s OK to think of Brock Bowers as a generational talent and hate that the Raiders selected him 13th in the NFL draft Thursday.
Love the player. Not so much the pick.
Bowers is the ultra talented tight end from Georgia. His is also not a position of need for the Raiders. At least not like other spots along the offensive line and in the secondary and, well, we know about the quarterback situation.
Bowers was clearly the best available player at that point, as versatile a tight end as the draft has known in decades. He can do it all. Line up at several spots. Has elite explosiveness and ball skills. Speed and balance. Supremely talented after the catch.
This also has to be about new general manager Tom Telesco taking the long view. Perhaps not about winning right away but by collecting the best available players for years to come.
“We know where we are today,” Telesco said. “But we are looking at today and into the future. With a player like Brock, where the scouting staff had him, what they thought about him, what the coaching staff thought about him, he was a pretty consensus guy. Makes it a little bit easier.”
A choice to make
This happened Thursday: Six quarterbacks were taken in the first 12 picks. It bumped a talent such as Bowers down the board to where the Raiders selected. They had a choice to make. Made the wrong one and yet not because Bowers can’t be great.
It’s true the Raiders don’t have a memorable recent draft history in the early rounds. Far from it. So did they pull off something shrewd by picking Bowers? Hard to say right now. They took their swing. We won’t know for some time if they bashed a home run or missed badly.
Bowers’ talent suggests the latter is a serious long shot. But he’s not about to line up as a right tackle or cover NFL wide receivers.
It’s likely the Raiders will address both needs as the draft progresses, but their choice to pass on predicted first-round talents at those positions is more than questionable.
You can’t, however, argue with the skill of the player they selected.
This part is fact: You either want to make the playoffs or win in them, and you need players such as Bowers to win in them.
Bowers will make whoever is throwing him the ball — we’re really now looking at Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell — much better for it.
Players such as Bowers are really hard to defend. Look no further than the two-time Super Bowl champions. The Chiefs have won for many reasons, but the two main ones are quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce.
The Raiders haven’t come close to identifying a franchise quarterback, but what if Bowers develops into the next Kelce? He’s just 21 and a true junior out of college.
In this sense, it’s sort of a blessing and a curse. A blessing because someone so young and talented fell to 13 and a curse because the Raiders weren’t able to get a quarterback.
And then chose not to go offensive tackle or cornerback.
There’s Mayer, too
The Raiders also have a promising talent in Michael Mayer, taken in the second round last year. You would assume this means a lot of two tight end sets from new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, something he employed often with the Bears.
“We’re looking at more playmakers on offense,” Telesco said. “This is a chance to add another dimension … It’s the way it worked out. We figured a lot of quarterbacks would go early and someone would come down that usually wouldn’t. The fact it was somebody who can go make plays on the offensive side of the ball was really helpful.”
Drafted what ultimately can be a generational talent.
Love the player. Not so much the pick.
Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on X.
MOST READ: Raiders
'; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += ''; html += 'READ MORE'; html += 'LIVE WELL'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'STORIES LIKE THIS'; html += 'CLICK HERE FOR MORE'; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('livewell').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-sponsored-full').length>0) { return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-2023-year-in-review')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += '2023 YEAR IN REVIEW'; html += 'CLICK HERE FOR MORE'; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('2023-year-in-review').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-msg-sphere')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('tag-msg-sphere').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-jeff-german-murder') || $('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-remembering-jeff-german')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('jeff_german').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-911-anniversary')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += 'REMEMBERING 9/11: 20 YEARS LATER'; html += 'Looking back at the 2001 terror attacks and how they affected Las Vegas and the world.'; html += 'Read more'; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('anniversary-911').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-class-of-2021')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += 'MEET THE UNFORGETTABLE CLASS'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += '2021'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('class-2021').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-2022-election')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += 'ELECTION 2022'; html += 'Read more'; html += ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += 'ELECTION RESULTS'; html += 'Click here'; html += ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('election-2022').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-harry-reid-1939-2021')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += ''; html += 'Harry Reid(1939-2021)'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'Senate leader and Nevada political titan'; html += 'Read more'; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('harry-reid').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-henry-ruggs')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += ''; html += 'HENRY RUGGSDEADLY CRASH'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'CLICK FOR MORE'; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('henry-ruggs').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('category-homicides')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += ''; html += 'HOMICIDE'; html += 'A STORY BEHIND EVERY NAME'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'TRACKER'; html += 'CLICK HERE FOR MORE'; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('homicides').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-sheldon-adelson')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += ''; html += 'Sheldon Adelson(1933-2021)'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'Las Vegas visionary and Philanthropist.'; html += 'Read more'; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('sheldon-adelson').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-tony-hsieh')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += ''; html += 'Tony Hsieh(1973-2020)'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'Ex-Zappos and Downtown Project CEO left a lasting impression on Las Vegas.'; html += 'Read more'; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('tony-hsieh').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-vegas-weekend')) { //vegas-reawakening html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += 'VEGAS REAWAKENING'; html += 'A year after the pandemic began, the first weekend of spring showed a perfect storm of promise for Las Vegas’ recovery and brought optimism that visitors would indeed return to the city'; html += 'Read more'; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('vegas-reawakening').html(html); return; } //add newsletters embed var default_category_to_show = ['News', 'Local', 'Life', 'Crime']; var newsletter_1st_lv = []; newsletter_1st_lv['default'] = {'id':'starting_point,pm_update', 'track_name':'StartingPoint', 'title':'LOCAL NEWS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free daily Morning and Afternoon Update newsletters.'}; newsletter_1st_lv['Sports'] = {'id':'sports', 'track_name':'Sports', 'title':'SPORTS NEWS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free daily Sports Update newsletter.'}; newsletter_1st_lv['Business'] = {'id':'business', 'track_name':'Business', 'title':'BUSINESS NEWS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free Business Update newsletter.'}; newsletter_1st_lv['Entertainment'] = {'id':'','alert_id':'entertainment', 'track_name':'Entertainment', 'title':'WANT THE LATEST ON LAS VEGAS ENTERTAINMENT?', 'subtitle':'Sign up for free entertainment email alerts'}; //newsletter_1st_lv['Nevada Preps'] = {'id':'nevada_preps', 'title':'HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Stay up to date with our free Nevada Preps newsletter.'}; //newsletter_1st_lv['Investigations'] = {'id':'rj_investigates', 'title':'INVESTIGATIVE NEWS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free RJ Investigates newsletter.'}; var cat_has_subcat = ['News','Business','Entertainment','Sports', 'Opinion']; var newsletter_2nd_lv = []; newsletter_2nd_lv['Politics and Government'] = {'id':'','alert_id':'political', 'track_name':'Political', 'title':'LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL POLITICS COVERAGE', 'subtitle':'
Sign up for our free RJ politics email alerts.
'}; //newsletter_2nd_lv['Politics and Government'] = {'id':'political', 'title':'ELECTION 2020: BE INFORMED', 'subtitle':'
FULL COVERAGE | ELECTION RESULTS
Sign up for our free RJ Politics newsletter.
'}; //newsletter_2nd_lv['Debra J. Saunders'] = {'id':'44', 'title':'YOUR WEEKLY POLITICAL FIX', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free DC-LV newsletter with political stories from the swamp to the Strip.'}; //newsletter_2nd_lv['CES 2021'] = {'id':'ces', 'title':'CES 2021: STAY IN THE KNOW', 'subtitle':'
The Review-Journal is a media partner with the CTA. Click here for full coverage and live video from CES 2021
Sign up for our free newsletter below.'}; //newsletter_2nd_lv['TV'] = {'id':'tv_briefing', 'title':'GET YOUR TV LISTINGS', 'subtitle':'Your Weekly TV Briefing.'}; //newsletter_2nd_lv['UNLV'] = {'id':'unlv_rebel_news', 'title':'UNLV SPORTS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Stay up to date on the Rebels with our free newsletter.'}; newsletter_2nd_lv['Rodeo'] = {'id':'rodeo_nfr', 'track_name':'RodeoNFR', 'title':'RODEO NEWS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Don\'t miss any of the action! Click here for full NFR coverage or Sign up for our free newsletter below'}; newsletter_2nd_lv['Raiders News'] = {'id':'vegasnation', 'track_name':'VegasNation', 'title':'WANT EVEN MORE RAIDERS NEWS?', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free Vegas Nation newsletter.'}; newsletter_2nd_lv['Golden Knights'] = {'id':'','alert_id':'golden_knights', 'track_name':'GoldenKnights', 'title':'WANT MORE KNIGHTS IN YOUR DAY?', 'subtitle':'Sign up for free Golden Knights email alerts for all the latest updates'}; var main_cat = ''; var m_hierarchy = []; var m_cat = []; var m_hl_cat = ''; if (window.dataLayer[0].metrics) { main_cat = window.dataLayer[0].metrics.section; //National Finals Rodeo m_hierarchy = window.dataLayer[0].metrics.hierarchy.split(' | '); //"Sports | Rodeo | National Finals Rodeo" m_cat = window.dataLayer[0].metrics.categories; //["National Finals Rodeo","Rodeo","Sports"] m_hl_cat = window.dataLayer[0].metrics['hl-category']; //Sports } var i, k, found, newsletter; newsletter = false; found = false; if (default_category_to_show.includes(m_hl_cat)) { newsletter = newsletter_1st_lv['default']; } if (newsletter_1st_lv.hasOwnProperty(m_hl_cat)) { newsletter = newsletter_1st_lv[m_hl_cat]; } // check main category if (newsletter_2nd_lv.hasOwnProperty(main_cat)) { found = true; newsletter = newsletter_2nd_lv[main_cat]; } if (!found) { // check in hierarchy (main category hierarchy) i = m_hierarchy.length; while (!found && i >= 0) { i--; if (i > 0) { if (newsletter_2nd_lv.hasOwnProperty(m_hierarchy[i])) { found = true; newsletter = newsletter_2nd_lv[m_hierarchy[i]]; } } else { // i=0, check first level if (newsletter_1st_lv.hasOwnProperty(m_hierarchy[i])) { found = true; newsletter = newsletter_1st_lv[m_hierarchy[i]]; } } } } if (!found) { // check in category i = m_cat.length; while (!found && i > 0 && cat_has_subcat.includes(m_hl_cat)) { i--; if (newsletter_2nd_lv.hasOwnProperty(m_cat[i])) { found = true; newsletter = newsletter_2nd_lv[m_cat[i]]; } } } if (newsletter !== false && !$('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-hide-newsletter') && !$('.rj-story-full').hasClass(' rj-story-sponsored-full')) { var alert_id = ''; if (newsletter.alert_id) { alert_id = newsletter.alert_id; } html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += '
'+newsletter.title+'
'; html += '
'+newsletter.subtitle+'
'; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += 'By signing up you agree to our Privacy Policy and '; html += 'Terms of Service. Unsubscribe at any time.'; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += 'This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.'; html += '
'; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').html(html); } //});})(jQuery);
*/jQuery('.rj-fb-like-btn.raiders').appendTo('.rj-story-full .entry-info-cont');var m_hierarchy = [];if (window.dataLayer[0].metrics) { m_hierarchy = window.dataLayer[0].metrics.hierarchy.split(' | '); if (m_hierarchy.includes('Golden Knights')) { jQuery('.rj-fb-like-btn.raiders').hide(); } }
THE LATEST
Graney: Goaltender goes to another level to give Knights 2-0 lead
ByEd Graney/RJ
Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson was stellar in net in a victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 2 of the first-round playoff series Wednesday.
Graney: Knights-Stars creating rivalry that should last for years
ByEd Graney/RJ
The Golden Knights and Dallas Stars are creating one of the best rivalries in the Western Conference after meeting in the playoffs for the third time in five years.
Former Bishop Gorman star expected to be top NFL draft pick
ByEd Graney/RJ
Former Bishop Gorman wide receiver Rome Odunze could be selected in the first 10 picks of the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday.
Graney: Mark Stone returns, makes presence felt for Knights
ByEd Graney/RJ
Captain Mark Stone was back in the lineup for the Golden Knights on Monday and scored a power-play goal in a Game 1 win over the Dallas Stars.
Graney: Knights still capable of playoff run despite different path
ByEd Graney/RJ
The Golden Knights won’t have home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs like they did during last year’s run. They’re still capable of defending their championship.
Graney: Unlike 2022, Knights overcome obstacles to make playoffs
ByEd Graney/RJ
After missing the postseason in 2022 because of a rash of injuries, the Knights have qualified for the playoffs this season despite facing a similar issue.
Graney: Raiders quarterback needs to be better to earn No. 1 role
ByEd Graney/RJ
The Raiders starting quarterback down the stretch last season is prepared to compete for his job. It’s all he’s ever known as a football player.
Graney: Understated, underrated Wild Bill leads Knights to wild win
ByEd Graney/RJ
William Karlsson’s two goals were massive as the Golden Knights came back to defeat the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday at T-Mobile Arena.
Graney: Marc-Andre Fleury visits Knights for maybe final time
ByEd Graney/RJ
Former Golden Knights goalie and fan favorite Marc-Andre Fleury could retire at season’s end, which would make Friday’s game his last in T-Mobile Arena.
Graney: Raiders should look at local lineman with 13th overall pick
ByEd Graney/RJ
The Raiders should consider an offensive tackle prospect that graduated from Liberty if they stay put in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
MORE STORIES
'; html += '
' html += '
'+d['title']+'
'; html += '
'; $('.rjp-related .base-'+base+' .field-story').append(html); } }});})(jQuery);
