The Raiders did not have a need at tight end entering the 2024 NFL Draft. They just selected Michael Mayer during the 2023 draft and he showed enough promise to warrant a full-time job this season. They also signed Harrison Bryant to work as a backup behind Mayer after four seasons in Cleveland.
But when Brock Bowers fell to pick No. 13, the Raiders had no choice but to select him. Just how in love were the Raiders with Bowers and his talent? Enough to ignore a potential trade down.
In a recent article by Vic Tafur of The Athletic, he answered several mailbag questions including how will the Raiders plan on using Bowers during his rookie season. In his answer, he revealed that a team tried to trade up to acquire Bowers during the 2024 NFL Draft:
That’s the plan, along with lining up Bowers out wide and behind the quarterback. They like Mayer. They just thought they couldn’t pass up on Bowers’ explosiveness, and even turned down a team trying to trade up for him.
One of the teams that were rumored to be interested in Bowers was the Los Angeles Rams, who wanted to trade into the top 12. But with quarterbacks being picked at No. 11 and No. 12, they were unable to secure a trade. And once Bowers fell to the Raiders at No. 13, they couldn’t get a deal done.
Time will tell if the Raiders made a mistake by not accepting the Rams’ (or any other team’s) offer for the No. 13 pick. They clearly love Bowers and believe that he could be a special player in the NFL. It should be fascinating to see how Luke Getsy deploys both Bowers and Mayer this season.
