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Paul Gutierrez, ESPN Staff Writer
HENDERSON, Nev. — Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco’s first pick in Sin City was one with intrigue, while providing a blueprint for following his draft board and taking the best player available.
How else to describe the Raiders drafting Georgia tight end Brock Bowers — granted, the consensus highest-rated player at the position in the draft and a top-10 overall talent — at No. 13 when Las Vegas already seemed set at the position? The Raiders used a second-round selection on tight end Michael Mayer last year and signed veteran tight end Harrison Bryant in free agency this spring.
Right tackle and cornerback seemed more pressing needs — especially with six quarterbacks already selected by the time the Raiders were up at No. 13 — and not only was Oregon State tackle Taliese Fuaga still on the board, so was every single defensive player.
Enter Telesco.
“We’re looking to add more playmakers to the offense, and they come in all shapes and sizes, in all different positions,” Telesco said Friday. “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.”
In three seasons at Georgia, Bowers caught 175 passes for 2,537 yards and 26 touchdowns while running the ball 19 times for 193 yards and 5 TDs.
Bowers, who underwent surgery on his left ankle in October but returned after missing two games, admitted he was “shocked” when the Raiders selected him. The All-American had talked with the team at the scouting combine and had a few telephone conversations with the Raiders, but he had no idea they were that interested — until the phone rang and caller ID showed it was coming from Las Vegas.
“I was juiced,” he said.
There was also a sense of familiarity. When the Raiders called Oakland home, the team held training camp at Bowers’ middle school in Napa, California. And the Napa High School alum took in a practice, or two, and came away with former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr‘s autograph.
“It’s pretty cool that it’s all come full circle like that,” Bowers said Friday in his introductory media conference.
Even though his family had more San Francisco 49ers fans at the time, he laughed.
Now a Raider, the versatile Bowers can expect a lot of 12 personnel — with Mayer, receivers Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers and running back Zamir White — under new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who authored preeminent rushing attacks with the Chicago Bears the past two seasons.
Bowers, at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, is the same height as Mayer, but he is 25 pounds lighter than his counterpart and seen as a matchup problem, particularly in the slot.
“I think the coaches did a good job at Georgia putting me in spots where I could be the most successful I could be, and, yeah, I hope that continues,” Bowers said. “I mean, I think it’s fun to move all around the field and play different positions and do different things. So, I mean I hope it continues, but yeah, whatever they call upon me to do, I plan on doing it to my best ability.”
Source: www.espn.com