Why Raiders' Brock Bowers ranked No. 60 in NFL Top 100 despite injuries

NFL Network's annual Top 100 Players countdown continues to unravel, and Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers is the latest name confirmed among the league's elite, landing at No. 60.

Voted upon by players, the honour carries more weight than media-driven rankings, and Bowers cracking the list for a second straight year says everything given how disrupted his 2025 season was.

Here's why the 23-year-old still commands this kind of respect and what his 2026 outlook holds.

Bowers overcame injury and still produced

Alex Slitz / Staff

Knee troubles dogged Bowers from the jump last season, and a historic rookie campaign was never going to be easy to follow anyway.

He still made a second consecutive Pro Bowl team despite playing just 12 of a possible 17 games, finishing with 64 receptions for 680 yards and seven touchdowns with a 10.6 yards per catch average.

And despite missing those five games, Bowers still finished ninth among all tight ends in both targets and receptions, tenth in receiving yards, and fifth in touchdowns.

Bowers dominated rookie records

None of this is new territory for Bowers, whose rookie year in 2024 rewrote the tight end record books.

His 112 receptions that season broke Puka Nacua's rookie reception record, and his 1,194 receiving yards broke a mark Hall of Famer Mike Ditka held since 1961.

Both numbers stand as the most by any rookie tight end in NFL history, and the 112 catches remain the third most by any tight end in a single season.

He also became the first tight end ever to post four separate 10-reception games as a rookie, doubling Jeremy Shockey's previous mark of two from 2002.

Why Bowers should dominate targets in 2026

Las Vegas overhauled its coaching staff and defense this offseason, but the receiver room simply didn't get the same treatment.

Jalen Nailor joined in free agency, but even his three-year $35.03 million deal looks more like a band-aid considering the dearth of accomplished names at wideout.

Kirk Cousins arrives to compete for the starting job at quarterback, holding the job down until rookie sensation Fernando Mendoza takes over.

Whichever quarterback ends up throwing the ball in Las Vegas, the target distribution math points in one obvious direction.

With no proven perimeter threat forcing coverage away from the middle of the field, Bowers is the clear favourite to lead this offense in targets, receiving yardage, and touchdowns.

Combine that point with his healthy offseason, more stability at quarterback, and an offensive line improved by the arrival of three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, and Bowers should have a huge year.

The full Top 100 list so far

• No. 100 - Cameron Jordan, DE, New Orleans Saints
• No. 99 - Quenton Nelson, G, Indianapolis Colts
• No. 98 - Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
• No. 97 - Ernest Jones IV, LB, Seattle Seahawks
• No. 96 - Travis Etienne Jr., RB, New Orleans Saints
• No. 95 - Demario Davis, LB, New York Jets
• No. 94 - Creed Humphrey, C, Kansas City Chiefs
• No. 93 - Carson Schwesinger, LB, Cleveland Browns
• No. 92 - Azeez Al-Shaair, LB, Houston Texans
• No. 91 - Montez Sweat, DE, Chicago Bears
• No. 90 - Derrick Brown, DT, Carolina Panthers
• No. 89 - Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
• No. 88 - Jack Campbell, LB, Detroit Lions
• No. 87 - Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers
• No. 86 - Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE, Los Angeles Chargers
• No. 85 - Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers
• No. 84 - Byron Young, EDGE, Los Angeles Rams
• No. 83 - Jeffery Simmons, DT, Tennessee Titans
• No. 82 - Jalen Ramsey, DB, Pittsburgh Steelers
• No. 81 - Bobby Wagner, LB, Free Agent
• No. 80 - A.J. Brown, WR, New England Patriots
• No. 79 - Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
• No. 78 - Josh Sweat, EDGE, Arizona Cardinals
• No. 77 - Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• No. 76 - Jaycee Horn, CB, Carolina Panthers
• No. 75 - Budda Baker, S, Arizona Cardinals
• No. 74 - Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers
• No. 73 - Zach Allen, DE, Denver Broncos
• No. 72 - Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers
• No. 71 - Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
• No. 70 - Xavier McKinney, S, Green Bay Packers
• No. 69 - Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
• No. 68 - Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos
• No. 67 - Jordyn Brooks, LB, Miami Dolphins
• No. 66 - Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
• No. 65 - Roquan Smith, LB, Baltimore Ravens
• No. 64 - Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
• No. 63 - Kyle Hamilton, S, Baltimore Ravens
• No. 62 - Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
• No. 61 - Kevin Byard, S, New England Patriots
• No. 60 - Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
• No. 59 - Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos

NFL Game Pass subscribers can watch the reveals on NFL Network live on DAZN.