The Las Vegas Raiders have all that they need at the tight end position with Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer leading the way for them. So much so, that their tight end room may be unrivaled in the league.
ESPN appraised the Raiders’ tight end room as being the best in the NFL heading into next season.
“An injury-riddled 2025 campaign is not enough for us to overlook superstar Brock Bowers. The 2024 first-round pick began his career with an elite stat line of 112 receptions, 1,194 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He remained dominant despite missing five games in 2025, posting 64 receptions, 680 receiving yards and seven touchdowns -- all three of which ranked top 10 at the position. The 23-year-old is a strong bet for a big bounce-back with Kirk Cousinsand/or Fernando Mendoza under center in 2026.”
Brock Bowers and Trey McBride are in a neck-and-neck battle over being considered the best tight end in the league, with George Kittle also in the mix. Being in that company gives the Raiders as elite a primary tight end as there is in the NFL.
Michael Mayer adds to the Raiders’ strength at the position with sound pass-catching ability, fluidity as a route-runner, and productivity on the stats sheet. The Notre Dame product recorded a career-high 328 receiving yards across 13 games played in 2025. He also recorded more yards after the catch per reception (5.6) than before (3.8), all of which indicates that even more productivity is possible from him in a full season played, which he has yet to log in his career. Ian Thomas also gives Las Vegas a tight end with speed and the ability to make catches in the intermediate.
The Raiders are in good hands at the tight end position, arguably above other teams with the deepest of rotations, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, led by Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, the Buffalo Bills, who feature a duo of Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox, and the Philadelphia Eagles, who are anchored by Dallas Goedert and rookie Eli Stowers.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Do the Raiders have the best tight end room in the NFL?
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