Former Georgia tight end Brock Bowers officially signed his NFL rookie contract with the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday.
Bowers inked a fully guaranteed four-year deal worth $18.1 million, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. He also gets an additional $10 million via a signing bonus and a fifth-year team option.
The Raiders were not necessarily in the market for a tight end when they picked Bowers at 13th overall, but they knew they wanted a playmaker. And as a pass-catching tight end, Bowers is just that.
This draft was the second year in a row that Las Vegas had selected a tight end. In 2023, they traded up in the second round to grab Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer.
While Mayer is a solid tight end, he isn’t Bowers.
“We’re looking to add more playmakers to the offense, and they come in all shapes and sizes, in all different positions,” Raiders general manager Tom Telesco told ESPN after the draft.
“And we love Michael Mayer — I love Michael Mayer — and he’s a really good player. He’s going to take another big jump this year.
But you get a chance to add just another dimension to the offense, whether it’s a tight end, hybrid receiver, whatever it is, you need more playmakers on that side of the ball.
