Should Brock Bowers Be NFL OROY?

Las Vegas Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers continues to make history. Bowers recorded 10 receptions for 140 receiving yards and a touchdown on 14 targets during Black Friday's primetime 19-17 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs. The historic first-year playmaker continues to position himself in the Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation.

Bowers’ touchdown occurred on 2nd-and-17 with the Raiders trailing the Chiefs 16-3 late in the third quarter. Aidan O’Connell stepped up into the pocket on a play-action concept and found a streaking Bowers behind several Chiefs defenders. It kickstarted a valiant come-from-behind effort.

Just two weeks ago against the Miami Dolphins, Bowers had a stat line of 13-for-126, setting an NFL record for the most catches in a game by a rookie tight end. Bowers has now followed that up with another double-digit reception, triple-digit receiving yard showing. He's been unstoppable despite opposing defenses knowing he's Vegas' only legitimate pass-catching threat.

Bowers now leads the entire NFL in receptions with 84. He's three catches away from breaking the rookie tight end record. The former Georgia standout could also become the first rookie tight end in league history to lead the NFL in receptions. Bowers is also fourth in receiving yards currently, trailing just Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Terry McLaurin. He’s on pace for a single-season TE rookie record of 1,251 receiving yards, potentially breaking the record set by the legendary Mike Ditka (1,076) in 1961.

Bowers should win Offensive Rookie of the Year for being the best rookie tight end in NFL history. That thought process especially strengthens if Bowers actually leads the league in receptions. With that said, we're not convinced voters are capable of removing position bias from their process.

Bowers is still considered a long shot because Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix exist. Quarterbacks have won three of the previous five OROY awards. Whenever there’s a quarterback in the mix for individual honors, there’s an excellent chance they will win. And it’s Daniels that’s long been considered the OROY favorite. The No. 2 overall selection inherited a lackluster 4-13 squad and has already doubled their win total. At 8-5, the Commanders have a two-game lead on the seventh and final wild-card postseason spot. Daniels ranks 12th in passing yards (2,819) and 13th in touchdowns (15) among all QBs.

Nix is achieving similar success. The Broncos entered the new season with low national expectations. They’re currently 8-5 with a two-win lead in the AFC wild-card race. Denver has won three consecutive contests, averaging 36 points per game over that stretch. Nix has thrown seven total touchdowns during this incredible three-week run.

The other caveat is the Raiders' record. They're an NFL-worst 2-10. Daniels and Nix play premium positions on teams surging towards unexpected postseason berths because they’re receiving outstanding rookie QB play is a non-debatable fact working against Bowers.

Bowers is shattering multiple records en route to stringing together a historically impressive campaign. Some may call it stat-padding on a bad team. It's nonetheless noteworthy and deserves legitimate OROY consideration. Regardless, expect Daniels or Nix to take home that hardware.