Comparisons can be fun. If only to give people an easy way to imagine what kind of player a potential player will be. And Brock Bowers drew all kinds of them that came out of Georgia.
Dane Brugler offered 49ers TE George Kittle's player composition in his draft guide, “The Beast.” Other names that emerged were And . These are the best tight ends in the NFL in recent memory, and of course some lofty comparisons.
But after Bowers' final game, in which he set another new career high with 140 yards receiving in Kansas City, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce is done with the comparisons. Bowers is unique.
“NO. Not this one. This guy is different,” Pierce said of Bowers. “This is different. Because when there's a duel in the first corner, when you're doing double combinations all over the field and they know we're him will throw the ball to him, we will continue to throw the ball to him.
“He’s one of those opponents… it’s hard. I don't know. Because his body type is different. I think there were some comparisons early on to Aaron Hernandez, that guy. But I just think about the way he plays the game after he has the ball. He's really like a running back. He's a receiver when the ball is in the air, but when he has the ball in his hands he punishes people. He's obviously skilled enough with his hands and his catch radius, I can't praise this player enough. This player is doing a hell of a job for us this year and it's no secret what we'll do in every single game if we get the opportunity to get it to 89.”
Not only have teams figured out that assigning Bowers to linebacker would be a mistake, but that they should simply put their best defense on him. This included the Broncos accompanying Bowers with Patrick Surtain II throughout the game. And last week, the Chiefs traded their top cornerback, Trent McDuffie, to him. And it didn't matter.
“Just his publications. We'll throw him a fade over there [Trent] McDuffie late in the game in the third quarter and his ability to stack him up, get on top and make a one-handed catch by putting his hand up late. These are things you see with more experienced players. But obviously a very talented and great athlete,” Pierce continued.
Pierce has said multiple times that he could tell from the moment Bowers walked into the building . And every week that goes by, he proves it.
Since the middle of the season he was well on his way to being one of the best and has set new standards and rewriting Seemingly every week since then.
