While all of the talk surrounding this past April’s NFL Draft was largely focused on Caleb Williams and the quarterbacks, one of the most overlooked developments was the Las Vegas Raiders coming away with arguably the best player in the entire draft.
Quarterback is undoubtedly the most important position in all of sports. But if we’re talking about pound-for-pound excellence, there’s a strong case to be made that Georgia tight end Brock Bowers was the single-most dominant prospect in the entire draft.
For Bowers to fall into the Raiders’ laps at #13 was simply astounding.
Unsurprisingly, Bowers has already made a hell of an impression on his new teammates.
Speaking at Vegas’ mandatory minicamp, star wide receiver Davante Adams went out of his way to heap praise on the heralded rookie.
He even came up with a well-earned nickname for him…
“I call him ‘BM’ … Short for ‘Business Man,'” Adams said with a grin.
“He is all business on the field. He doesn’t care about nothing else … He hasn’t laughed at one of my jokes yet … I have seen the tape. I know what he is about. He is a big, strong dude that is driven. Sky’s the limit.”
The veteran wideout continued to express his confidence in Bowers’ potential, emphasizing his drive and unique physical abilities.
While it’s true that the Raiders were snooping around for a quarterback – perhaps Michael Penix Jr. – they were more than fortunate that Bowers lasted to their pick.
They smartly snatched him up, despite already having a young and talented tight end on the roster in Michael Mayer (who they used their second-round pick on in 2023).
The Raiders certainly don’t lack for talent and could be in position to be one of the most surprising teams in the league this season.
Having said that, Adams is preaching patience as the team continues to gel during offseason workouts.
“The frustration comes in midseason when we haven’t made the progress that we need,” Adams said. “At this point, you’re not a very mature or experienced football player if you’re getting frustrated in mandatory minicamp.
“Obviously, I get frustrated every play if it doesn’t work to a certain degree, but it’s not [the kind of] frustration where you’re losing hope in your teammates, or yourself, or a potential of what you can do as a team.”
Adams also highlighted his familiarity with the offensive scheme orchestrated by new coordinator Luke Getsy, formerly Adams’ coach in Green Bay.
“Thankfully, I’ve been in the system for a long time, so 90% of these calls, they’re coming through, and I know what to do right away without even getting in my book, for real,” he said.
“So, it is a learning process for everybody getting comfortable with it. Trying to just figure out [how] things change on motions, getting lined up in different formations.
“You might hear some things that were similar to what you had before, [but] getting that out of your mind, kind of unlearning some stuff, is a part of the process.”
Of course, the biggest question in Vegas is who will be the starting quarterback once Week 1 rolls around?
Aidan O’Connell held his own in limited action last season and will have his chance to win the starting job.
However, the expectation is that veteran Gardner Minshew will ultimately win the spot.
Minshew is one of the most underrated players in the league and has been dying for a chance to prove that he can be a franchise quarterback in the NFL.
He’s bounced around like a hot potato and the time he’s seen on the field to this point has only been due to injury.
Minshew is sick and tired of being known as the fun, hippie journeyman quarterback. He wants to be the true, legitimate face of a franchise once and for all.
He’ll have his chance with the Raiders…
What are your thoughts on Vegas as we head into the new season?
Who will end up winning the starting quarterback job?
Getting back to Bowers, do you agree that he could end up being the best overall player to come from this draft class?
If he improves his blocking, is there a chance he could end up being Rob Gronkowski 2.0 – or even better???
(By the way: have you ever seen a worse comment in your entire life than the one below?!?)