He hasn’t discovered the top zone a lot, however in any other case, Raiders first-round decide Brock Bowers is heading in the right direction to have the very best season ever for a rookie tight finish.
Bowers, the thirteenth general decide on this yr’s draft, leads all NFL tight ends in catches (47) and yards (477), although he has just one landing in his first seven NFL video games. These prolific numbers put him on tempo to shatter the league’s rookie tight finish data. He is in line to get 1,158 receiving yards, breaking Mike Ditka’s document of 1,076, set approach again in 1960, and he is on tempo for 114 catches, which might obliterate the rookie document of 86 set final yr by the Lions’ Sam LaPorta.
The excessive quantity of passes headed Bowers’ approach makes him a uncommon tight finish who is really his offense’s No. 1 goal, particularly because the Raiders traded receiver Davante Adams to the Jets. Throughout the league, solely three different tight ends are main their groups in catches and receptions: the 49ers’ George Kittle, the Patriots’ Hunter Henry and the Cardinals’ Trey McBride.
Bowers is not simply main all NFL tight ends in catches and receiving yards, he has 102 extra yards and 13 extra catches than Kittle, who’s second in each. He is in nice form to make the Professional Bowl as a rookie — and could be the third rookie tight finish in 4 years to take action, following LaPorta final yr and Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts in 2021. What’s wild is there was only one rookie tight finish who made the Professional Bowl within the 30 years earlier than that — the Giants’ Jeremy Shockey in 2002.
Apart from Bowers, the 2024 class of rookie tight ends is extremely unremarkable. The remainder of them mixed have 544 yards, barely greater than Bowers has himself. They collectively have three landing catches, nicely down from the previous two years, when rookie tight ends had 26 landing catches every season.
Extra killer Bs: Beanie Bishop Jr. picks A-Rod twice
The jewel of this yr’s undrafted rookies is well Steelers nickel nook Beanie Bishop, who has already performed 294 defensive snaps for Pittsburgh, greater than double every other undrafted participant within the league. On Sunday, Bishop did extra than simply play — he made performs, getting a pair of interceptions off Aaron Rodgers within the Steelers’ prime-time win over the Jets.
“He is a Corridor of Fame quarterback,” Bishop stated after the sport. “Obtained a variety of respect for that man and simply to have the ability to get not one however two of them off of him is loopy.”
Bishop is one other case of NFL groups placing an excessive amount of worth on measurement. He is simply 5-foot-9 and 180 and is 24 as a rookie, which may drop a participant on draft boards. He had an extended path to the NFL, with 4 years at Western Kentucky, one at Minnesota, then a breakout 2023 at West Virginia, getting a team-best 4 interceptions and main the nation in passes defended. The Steelers acquired him for only a $25,000 signing bonus, which is small even by undrafted requirements.
How uncommon is it to select off Rodgers twice in a sport? It is occurred simply 4 different occasions in his 20-year NFL profession. The Saints’ Jason David did it in 2008, the Payments’ Bacarri Rambo in 2014, the Giants’ Janoris Jenkins in 2016 and the Lions’ Kerby Joseph in 2022.
The statistical oddity of the week is that two undrafted rookies — Bishop and the Rams’ Jaylen McCollough — every had two interceptions on the identical day. That is a primary in NFL historical past. If you happen to embrace first-year gamers, it is occurred as soon as earlier than, in 1960, when the Boston Patriots’ Gino Cappelletti and the New York Titans’ Fred Julian each did it on Oct. 16. McCollough is now tied for the rookie lead with three interceptions for the yr, placing him even with Texans security Calen Bullock.
Historical past of 1-2 rookie QB showdown
Jayden Daniels’ well being standing as a consequence of a rib harm may jeopardize a much-awaited showdown of the draft’s prime two picks as Daniels and the Bears’ Caleb Williams are scheduled to fulfill on Sunday.
These 1-2 showdowns aren’t all the time indicative of future success. A yr in the past, Bryce Younger and the Panthers beat C.J. Stroud and the Texans in a Week 7 assembly, with Younger throwing for 235 yards and a landing and Stroud throwing for 140. In 2021, Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars misplaced to Zach Wilson and the Jets in one other 1-2 assembly, with Wilson speeding for 91 yards and a rating and throwing for 102 and one other rating.
Most lopsided such head-to-head rookie sport in recent times? In 2015, the Bucs’ Jameis Winston and the Titans’ Marcus Mariota opened their careers towards one another. Mariota went 13-for-15 with 4 touchdowns in a 42-14 rout that was 35-7 at halftime, whereas Winston had two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Rookie tidbits
Within the first six weeks of this season, no crew acquired greater than 287 offensive and defensive snaps from rookies in a sport, however in Week 7, 4 groups had no less than that many. The Saints had 317, Rams had 312, the Giants had 292 and the Chargers had 287. … This yr’s rookie working again class has proven flashes, however it’s telling that the highest two rookie rushers in Week 7 have been quarterbacks: Denver’s Bo Nix (75) and Daniels (50). And Daniels performed solely 10 snaps earlier than his harm. … Undrafted rookie with essentially the most offensive snaps? Saints receiver Mason Tipton, a Yale grad who has 85 receiving yards on the season. … It is not as telling as sacks, however by way of official quarterback hits, the main rookie is the Rams’ Jared Verse, with 9. Second is the Bucs’ Chris Braswell, a second-round decide who has six on the season.
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand spent a decade masking the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Occasions and The Athletic. You may observe him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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