Raiders sign first-round pick Brock Bowers, rookie contract revealed

The Las Vegas Raiders have officially signed first-round pick Brock Bowers, inking the former Georgia Bulldogs star to a four-year contract. According to Ari Meirov, Bowers signed a four-year deal worth $18.1 million fully guaranteed. He gets a $10 million signing bonus and a fifth-year team option.

Bowers has been the best tight end in the country for the last two years and was projected to be drafted high. But the California native didn’t expect to be selected by the Raiders.

“It was crazy. Never really expected the Raiders to call,” Bowers told Raiders.com. “I was sitting there anxiously and then Las Vegas popped up on my phone. Then it all hit me. It was crazy. My agent said, ‘They’re probably drafting a defensive guy.’ And literally, as soon as he says that, the call pops up and it says Las Vegas.”

Bowers is a big reason why the Bulldogs won back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. He was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2021 and named to the All-SEC First Team from 2021 to 2023. Bowers is also a two-time winner of the John Mackey Award, which is given to the nation’s most outstanding tight end. He is the only player in college football history to win the award twice.

Brock Bowers is ready to live out his dream of playing in the NFL

“Football has always kind of been in the back of my mind,” Bowers said. “I remember watching NFL games on Sunday, Monday, and playing catch in the living room just watching games and being like, ‘Man, I want to be there one day.’ I think it all got kind of real after my freshman year in college and I was like, ‘Man, I have a shot at this, to go do it and live out my dream.’

“I feel like I’m a hard-working guy and am always competing. I love to compete. I feel like that’s something I bring to the table every day in practice; I’m going to be trying to just win every rep.”

After Bowers was selected by the Raiders at No. 13 overall, general manager Tom Telesco explained why the team made the move.

“We’re looking to add more playmakers to the offense, and they come in all shapes and sizes, in all different positions,” Telesco said, per ESPN. “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.

“So, I think [Bowers is] really going to help us there, and I feel like he was a high-level player in college. A true junior, he’s 21 years old, so he’s very young still, still developing. But he has some natural football skills, combined with some high-level athletic ability and speed.”