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Sports Illustrated
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Patrick Andres

Rob Gronkowski Discusses 'Easy Pick' for Which Tight End Is His Generation's Heir

Rob Gronkowski in 2023. | Cheryl Evans-Imagn Images

If you love great tight-end play, the last decade of football has been the one for you.

Since around the beginning of the 2010s, the NFL has been chock-full of tight ends who have distilled the position's pass-catching and blocking skillsets to their essences. Rob Gronkowski, four times an All-Pro for the New England Patriots. Travis Kelce, also a four-time All-Pro for the Kansas City Chiefs. George Kittle, a Pro Bowler each of the last four years for the San Francisco 49ers.

It begs the question: when the Gronkowski-Kelce-Kittle golden generation draws to a close, who will inherit the star tight-end mantle? Gronkowski has an idea, as he discussed in a Wednesday interview with SI on behalf of Bounty.

"That's an easy pick. That's Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders," Gronkowski said. "I mean, he absolutely dominated—dominated—this year. He went to the Pro Bowl. He had over 100 catches. He was one of the only reliable targets on the Las Vegas Raiders."

Indeed, Bowers caught 112 passes as a rookie out of Georgia—25 more than wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, who had the second most on the Raiders. His 1,194-yard effort landed him on the All-Pro team.

"Very consistent as well—just has a knack for being able to grow up and grab the ball," Gronkowski said. " Great hands, great concentration, and just the way that he can run after the catch as well—and punish the defenders that are coming to tackle him. He's phenomenal, man."


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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rob Gronkowski Discusses 'Easy Pick' for Which Tight End Is His Generation's Heir.

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