After years of suffering, the Las Vegas Raiders have finally hit on an NFL Draft class. New general manager Tom Telesco came to the Raiders from the L.A. Chargers last offseason and immediately made his presence felt in April's draft.
In the first round, Telesco and company selected Georgia tight end Brock Bowers with their 13th overall selection. While some hastily criticized the selection due to the team's quarterback situation, Bowers has not cared as he is the league's top tight end at the position in numerous categories.
As seen above, he is second with 47 receptions amongst tight ends and wide receivers. This is being accomplished with a quarterback situation that is one of the league's worst. Through seven games, he has made an impression on teammates and opponents.
“I hope he breaks every one (of the rookie tight end receiving records). He’s in a league of his own. That’s a different type of cat.” Jakobi Meyers said.
While he has been a stud receiver, an aspect of his game that is sometimes forgotten is his above-average blocking abilities. Speaking of blocking, the team's next two draft picks have thrived in different blocking areas as well.
Left guard Jackson Powers-Johnson was the team's second-round selection in April's draft and has been as advertised. The 6-3 335-pound offensive lineman was known for his elite competitive toughness as an Oregon Duck, which has been the case in his tenure with the Silver and Black this season.
Despite missing some time due to injury, he has quickly adapted to the NFL game and is poised to be a foundational piece on the team's offensive line.
Last but surely not least is the team's third-round pick, Delmar 'DJ' Glaze. In recent weeks, he has been the team's starter at right tackle and has proven to be a force in the team's run-blocking department.
At 6-4 325 pounds, he proves to be quite the physical force and, like Jackson Powers-Johnson, acclimating to the NFL game at a respectable rate.
Overall, the Raiders have acquired three cornerstone-caliber players in one draft when they were hard-pressed to find one quality player in three separate drafts combined. Few other NFL teams can say that they are already yielding the return of their draft picks at the level the Silver and Black are.
