A year after Sam LaPorta burst onto the scene for the Detroit Lions, producing one of the most prolific debuts for a tight end in NFL history, Brock Bowers might be even better. Fresh off his second 10-catch effort in three weeks, leading the Las Vegas Raiders with 140 yards in a near-upset of the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs, Bowers is on pace to finish with maybe the best rookie numbers of any tight end ever.
Drafted 13th overall out of Georgia this spring, the 21-year-old Bowers has already set a new Raiders record for catches by a rookie (84); that mark also leads all NFL pass catchers coming out of Week 13. He's now just three receptions away from breaking LaPorta's record for rookie-year catches by a tight end (86). And he's already in the top five when it comes to debut-year receiving yards by a tight end (884), with five games still to play. Not only is he begging to be in the conversation for Offensive Rookie of the Year, but he's got a chance to surpass some other all-time marks by legends like Hall of Famer Mike Ditka.
Here's a look at how Bowers' marks stack up against the best rookie-year tight end marks in NFL history:
| Statistic | Record | Player | Team | Year | Bowers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Catches | 86 | Sam LaPorta | Lions | 2023 | 84 |
Receiving yards | 1,076 | Mike Ditka | 1961 | 884 | |
Receiving TDs | 12 | Mike Ditka | Bears | 1961 | 4 |
Bowers, of course, would need nine touchdowns over the Raiders' final five games to break Ditka's touchdown record, which is highly unlikely. Both the catches and yards records are within reach, however, and depending on Bowers' involvement to close his rookie campaign, it's possible he could also produce one of the best receiving seasons of any tight end, not just rookies. The single-season record for yards belongs to Chiefs star Travis Kelce (1,416 in 2020), but if Bowers continues to average 73.7 yards per game for the rest of 2024, he'd finish with 1,252, or the 10th-most of all time.
The catch record for all tight ends, held by Washington Commanders veteran and former Philadelphia Eagles star Zach Ertz (116 in 2018), is seemingly out of reach. But if Bowers maintains his pace of seven catches per game through the rest of 2024, he'd break that record with 119 total receptions.
The Raiders may not be a good football team, entering Week 14 with a 2-10 record and ongoing questions about the long-term future of the quarterback position. No matter how you spin it, however, there's no denying one thing: They struck gold with Brock Bowers.
