Only one tight end made the list, but Bowers’ exclusion is head-scratching
The 2025 NFL season is just around the corner, and Pro Football Focus recently released its annual column that ranks the league’s top 50 players heading into the campaign. The Las Vegas Raiders had one player make the cut: defensive end Maxx Crosby, who came in at No. 33.
“Crosby posted three straight PFF grades above 90.0 from 2021 to 2023, anchored by pass-rush grades north of 83.0 each year,” PFF’s Dalton Wasserman and Trevor Sikkema wrote. “A high ankle sprain slowed him in 2024, leading to a slight dip in production, but he’s been nothing short of dominant when healthy. His 364 total pressures over the past four seasons lead all NFL edge rushers.”
While there’s no doubt that the four-time Pro Bowler deserved the recognition, there’s one glaring omission from the site’s list when it comes to the Raiders: tight end Brock Bowers.
To be fair, Wasserman and Sikkema noted that PFF’s wins above replacement (WAR) metric was a key factor in determining the top 50, and tight ends as a whole typically don’t get a lot of love when it comes to WAR. For example, George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers is the only player at the position to make the cut.
However, on May 29, Wasserman’s and Sikkema’s colleague John Kosko ranked Bowers as the NFL’s second-best tight end behind Kittle, and Kosko used the same metric mentioned above as part of his rationale.
“You might argue that this is a generous ranking for Bowers after one season in the NFL,” Kosko wrote, “but a changing of the guard may be near after what he accomplished as a rookie. The Georgia product ranked second in PFF WAR and third in PFF overall grade in 2024. Despite dealing with arguably the worst quarterback room in the NFL, he produced an all-time rookie season.”
Granted, different writers from the same company can have different opinions (that certainly happens here at Silver and Black Pride from time to time), but it does seem like there are some inconsistencies in PFF’s logic here.
Regardless, hopefully Bowers uses this as fuel for another impressive performance this fall.
In Other Raiders Links:
- 2 Stats where Ashton Jeanty can improve rushing attack: “The Raiders had one of the worst collections of running backs in the league last year,” FTN’s Alex Blickle wrote, “so not only is sixth overall pick Ashton Jeanty potentially one of the few backs in the league who can make a significant impact, but he’s also replacing well-below-average players.”
- Tre Tucker breakout season: “While Tucker was able to win deep like he did the previous season, the quarterbacks he played with weren’t able to get him the ball consistently,” S&BP’s Marcus Johnson wrote. “…[Geno] Smith was one of the best deep passers in the league. According to PFF, he was third in completion percentage on throws over 20 yards. This combination with Tucker can help lead to more explosive plays in the passing game with a consistent deep passer throwing the football.”
- Desmond Ridder returns home: Over the weekend, the Cincinnati product and former Raiders quarterback signed with the Bengals to backup Joe Burrow, according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.
- Training camp storylines: “Younger rosters typically come with growing pains, but [Pete] Carroll has not shied away from that in the past,” The Athletic’s Tashan Reed wrote. “For the Raiders to be competitive this season, the coaching staff will have to do more in developing unproven players.”