This could be a tight one
The Raiders have a strong history when it comes to the tight end position. Even though the franchise hasn’t had much success since the turn of the century, it has still sent several tight ends to the Pro Bowl over the last 25 years. That made cutting the nominees down to three players for the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders 2000s All-Quarter Century Team difficult, as Jared Cook also has a strong case to be featured.
But it’s hard to argue with the trio of Zach Miller, Darren Waller and Brock Bowers. So, let’s make the case for each tight end and vote!
Zach Miller
Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
Raiders Stats: 226 catches, 2,712 yards, 12 touchdowns (four seasons, 62 games)
Accolades: Pro Bowl (2010)
The Raiders didn’t win many games during Miller’s tenure (2007-2010), with just 22 victories in those four seasons, but he was one of the few quality players on the roster. After finishing third as a rookie, Miller was the team’s leading receiver during his last three years with the club. That helped him earn a Pro Bowl bid during the 2010 campaign, and he was a quality blocker in the running game, earning run-blocking grades from Pro Football Focus ranging from 66.4 to 81.0 during his tenure in Oakland. As a result, Miller was widely considered one of the NFL’s most complete tight ends during the late 2000s.
Darren Waller
Raiders Stats: 286 catches, 3,469 yards, 17 touchdowns (five seasons, 56 games)
Accolades: Pro Bowl (2020)
Waller certainly has the best story of the three tight ends, going from a practice-squad player with the Baltimore Ravens while battling addiction and almost having his NFL career end before it started, to becoming one of the league’s best tight ends for a few years. While he was only selected for one Pro Bowl team, he ranked second among tight ends with 1,145 receiving yards in 2019 to finish in third place for the league’s Comeback Player of the Year. The following season, Waller set a single-season franchise record with 107 catches (later broken by Bowers) and had the second-most receiving yards (1,196) for a Raiders tight end with 1,196 yards.
Brock Bowers
Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images
Raiders Stats: 112 catches, 1,194 yards, 5 TDs
Accolades: Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro (2024)
While Bowers has only played one season for the Silver and Black, it was a pretty good one. The best of any rookie tight end in NFL history, in fact. Not only did the 2024 first-round pick set franchise records, but he also surpassed Mike Ditka for the most receiving yards among first-year players at the position, a record that stood for over 60 years, and Puka Nacua’s rookie receptions record regardless of position. That has elevated Bowers into the discussion as the NFL’s top tight end just one year into his career. And if we’re voting based on accomplishments, the Georgia product takes the cake as the only first-team All-Pro listed here, and he was second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting last season.
So, which tight end are you going with for a spot on the Raiders’ 2000s All-Quarter Century Team?
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