Brock Bowers was 'really shocked' Raiders took him at No. 13 in NFL draft

Mike Moraitis

Brock Bowers was 'really shocked' Raiders took him at No. 13 in NFL draft image

The Las Vegas Raiders added to their tight ends room in the 2024 NFL Draft when they took Georgia tight end Brock Bowers at No. 13 overall.

The pick was at least somewhat surprising, as the Raiders didn't need a tight end after taking Michael Mayer in the second round last year. But general manager Tom Telesco did say he wouldn't just be targeting players based on immediate need and would also factor in the long haul, thus, he went with what we would assume was the best available player on his board.

One person who was definitely surprised was Bowers himself, as he revealed to ESPN's Paul Gutierrez in the wake of being drafted by Las Vegas. Regardless, he's excited to be joining the Raiders.

"I was really shocked....when that phone call came from Las Vegas, Nevada, I was juiced," Bowers said.

RELATED: Grade for Raiders' selection of Bowers

Whatever your opinion is of the pick itself, the Raiders are adding a a very good playmaker to their offense. Bowers was a prolific pass-catcher in college and is going to form an impressive tandem at tight end with the aforementioned Mayer.

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Barring a trade, the Raiders will be on the clock again on Friday night with the No. 44 overall pick, which comes in the second round. We'll see if the Raiders address one of their major needs with that selection.

Mike Moraitis

Mike Moraitis Photo

After cutting his teeth with Bleacher Report, Mike Moraitis has covered the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans for FanSided, and the Titans and New York Giants for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. On top of his duties with Sporting News, Mike is the managing editor and lead writer for Titans Wire.