It's always tough navigating that first injury report coming out of preseason and training camp. Some injuries are downplayed and others weren't as serious as initially thought. We also get some surprises (we're looking at you Raiders and Brock Bowers).
But we've gotten through most of the action for Week 1 and can lookahead to which injuries we'll need to track going into the second slate of the season. Below is all the latest news and updates, plus some fantasy football ******* ysis to help with weekly lineup tinkering.
Kyler Murray, MIN (concussion)
Sam Darnold, SEA (hip)
Murray: It was a tough Minnesota debut for Murray, exiting early in the contest after a questionable hit from Packers S Javon Bullard. Prior to the hit, Murray had thrown an egregious interception into triple coverage. Murray did not return, finishing the game 3-for-5 for 18 yards and the INT, plus two carries for nine yards.

#bowers

Las Vegas Raiders TE Michael Mayer signed a three-year contract extension with the Raiders Saturday, Sept. 12, worth $45 million. The extension includes $30 million in guaranteed money.
SOURCE: Ian Rapoport – NFL Network
Why It Matters: Mayer will be joining the starting lineup while Brock Bowers is sidelined, so he will have fantasy value over the next few weeks. He should see a decent amount of targets in Week 1 and can be a low-end No. 1 tight end in deeper leagues.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Extension for Michael Mayer

#rapoport

UPDATE: 9:38 a.m. Saturday
A lot has happened since our early posting this week. The biggest injury news is the meniscus tear suffered by the No. 1 tight end, the Raiders' Brock Bowers. He will miss Week 1, and at least a couple of weeks after that.
The season-opening game proved painful for New England star receiver A.J. Brown. He's now on injured reserve.with a high-ankle sprain that will sideline him at least a month.
Several questionable players are more likely to play this week. Arizona rookie RB Jeremiyah Love and Las Vegas sophomore Ashton Jeanty are now expected to start, as is Chicago wideout Rome Odunze. And while Giants WR Malik Nabers is playing it coy, he should be on the field tomorrow night against Dallas.
Cooper Rush will now quarterback Atlanta thanks to injuries to Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa. That might turn out to be good news for top Falcons performers Drake London, Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts.

#raiders

Josh Norris makes his regular season pod debut as he joins Matt Harmon for our weekend preview pod. Norris identifies the six most pressing fantasy questions we want answered in Week 1 and Harmon reveals the 3 'sicko' games he's paying attention to for fantasy. The two end the show taking your mailbag questions about the players you are most nervous to start in Week 1.
(2:30) 49ers 27, Rams 7
(34:05) - Question 1: Can the Raiders function without Brock Bowers?
(44:30) - Question 2: What's the Packers plan for their backfield?
(51:10) - Question 3: Eagles were last in the NFL in terms of drives that went 3 and out last season, how does Sean Mannion's offense fix that?

#question #season #questions

The second injury report for the Raiders 2026 season is out. And it looks a lot like the first one. That is to say it looks exactly the same.
The same thing is actually good news for the Raiders. No new injuries or setbacks. Ashton Jeanty was once again a full participant, putting him on track to start Sunday against the Dolphins.
Of course Brock Bowers is still out, but that was expected as he had surgery to repair his meniscus this week and will miss at least the season opener, and possibly more, recovering.
For the Dolphins, LB Ronnie Harrison and TE Will Kacmarek were still limited.
One more injury report to come on Friday where we will get the final status of the players for both teams.

#raiders #injury #season #still

Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings: Week 1 2026 appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The fantasy football expectations have soared for Brock Bowers. And many people think Colston Loveland will be a beast. But what kind of start will they have? Here are the fantasy football tight end rankings for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
A lot of the tight end value depends on how your league scores the position. If your league values tight ends on the same plane as wide receivers, these rankings matter more.
You absolutely cannot go wrong with Bowers in Week 1. He has a tremendous matchup against the Dolphins. And he should light things up with Kirk Cousins feeding him targets. Look at the defense rankings, and you see the Dolphins nestled at No. 23 this week. It's an open door for Bowers.
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#rankings

On August 13, Legence Corp. (NASDAQ:LGN) reported second-quarter results that more than doubled the company's revenue from a year earlier, a jump big enough to make even seasoned investors do a double take. Strip out the contribution from the company's Bowers acquisition and the underlying business still grew 60%. But dig one line deeper into the same report and a less flattering picture shows up: profitability per dollar of revenue actually shrank, and the bottom line posted a wider loss than it did last year. That contrast, blistering growth paired with thinning margins, is the story investors now have to sort out.
The headline number was revenue of $1.26 billion for the quarter, up 110.7% from $598.9 million a year ago. Adjusted EBITDA climbed even faster in percentage terms, rising 114.1% to $154.6 million, which tells you the company managed to grow its cash-generating profit measure roughly in step with the top line even during a period of heavy acquisition-driven expansion. Backlog and awarded contracts, effectively the pipeline of future work already on the books, reached $5.67 billion, more than double the $2.77 billion Legence held a year earlier.
That backlog is not concentrated in one place either. While data centers and technology remained the biggest driver, management pointed to healthy activity across life sciences and healthcare, state and local government, and education as well, spreading the growth across several end markets rather than resting it on a single customer type. The Installation & Maintenance segment did the heavy lifting, with revenue up 162% to $1.06 billion, and even after removing the Bowers acquisition's impact, that segment still grew 86.6% on its own.
Management also used the quarter to raise its full-year guidance, now targeting $4.7 billion to $4.8 billion in revenue, up from a prior range of $4.1 billion to $4.3 billion, alongside adjusted EBITDA guidance lifted to $565 million to $585 million from $470 million to $490 million.
The same report shows profitability moving in the opposite direction of revenue. Gross margin fell to 17.4% from 21.5% a year ago, and the non-GAAP adjusted version slipped to 18.5% from 21.8%, a shift the company attributed to a revenue mix leaning more heavily toward lower-margin installation and maintenance work. The Engineering & Consulting segment felt this directly, with gross profit down 12.4% to $56.1 million even as its revenue grew, a sign that pricing and cost pressure in that business outpaced its sales growth. Net loss attributable to Legence widened to $27.8 million from $5.3 million a year earlier, and the company's total net loss grew to $34.6 million from $3.9 million.

#year #grew #adjusted

The Yahoo Expert League draft was held on Tuesday evening with a slew of talent throughout the ranks. The 12-team league was comprised of mostly Yahoo ******* ysts with a few surprise guests. Let's go over some of their favorite late-round WR dart throws from the action.
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Joel Smyth went with Jaguars wideout Jakobi Meyers to kick off the 11th round. It's never bad to get a piece of one of the best offenses in the NFL from last season with Meyers expected to be one of the top targets for QB Trevor Lawrence along with Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington (both of whom landed on Matt Harmon's roster).
That started the run of wide receivers in the 11th round with four of the next five picks. Ray Garvin tagged Tre Tucker, who could be the No. 1 wide receiver in Las Vegas. Of course, Brock Bowers should be the top target but there's plenty of opportunity in the WR ranks for Tucker and Jalen Nailor to emerge as decent sleepers.
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#draft #wide

Whether it be someone on your favorite team or your least favorite, it is always intriguing to see how former Michigan Wolverines grow after their time in Ann Arbor. As the NFL approaches and rosters fill with dozens of former Wolverines, let's take a look at some guys to watch for this season.
"Hutch" did not take long to become a fan favorite among Detroiters, and even after a season-ending injury in 2024, he came back last fall with an outrageous 14.5-sack performance. Last season, he was a Pro Bowler, second-team All-Pro, fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and the runner-up for Comeback Player of the Year.
We all know the ferocity and effort with which Hutchinson played at Michigan, and he is the same monster in the pros. Even if you detest the Lions, you have to appreciate watching this guy play.
A slight surprise choice at No. 10 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, Loveland started his rookie year a bit slowly before emerging as one of Caleb Williams' more trusted options. He ended his first year in the NFL with 58 receptions on 82 targets for 713 yards and six touchdowns.
Gone is top wideout DJ Moore, and Loveland — along with receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III — are expected to carry the pass-catching responsibilities for the Bears in 2026. Loveland is still only 22 years old and has all the makings to be one of the league's premier tight ends, potentially joining superstars such as Brock Bowers and Trey McBride sooner rather than later.

#loveland #favorite #team

Last year was a tough one for top-end tight ends, as both George Kittle, Tucker Kraft and Brock Bowers had injury trouble that derailed their fantasy seasons. That left Tre McBride to pick up the slack, catching a crazy 126 passes to set the NFL record for receptions in a season. At this point there is a real chance all three of those injured stud tight ends might be available for Week 1!
We had some fresh talent infuse the tight end position last season, with three rookies putting up strong numbers. Tyler Warren, Colston Loveland, and Harold Fannin Jr. all proved their fantasy worth and look to build on their strong rookie campaigns. It's nice to have those guys added to what is usually a pretty shallow pool of top fantasy tight ends.
In twelve team leagues that start one tight end, there are often not enough capable fantasy tight ends to go around. This year I'd be happy with eleven of this group being my starter. And since we can wait longer to pick up a TE starter we like, we don't have to waste a second or third round pick on a stud.
Kittle ruptured his Achilles in 2026 and is trying to play in Week 1 of the 2026 season at the age of 33! The odds are stacked against him, but I wouldn't put it past him to have yet another strong year in Kyle Shanahan's offense. We get a discount on him this season, but for good reason.
Kraft was absolutely on fire to start last season, putting up 32 receptions for 489 yards and six touchdowns through seven and a half games. Unfortunately, a torn ACL ended his amazing start. All signs point to him playing in Week 1 and Kraft is only 25 and going into his fourth season. I'm not as worried about him as I am Kittle.

#year

Cowboys owner and G.M. Jerry Jones continues to be the defendant in a civil lawsuit arising from a claim that Jones forcibly grabbed and kissed a woman during a 2018 postgame celebration. The six-year-old case has been dismissed and reinstated and it still doesn't have a firm trial date.
Recently, the plaintiff in the case tried to have the presiding judge removed. Another judge ruled against the effort, via the Dallas Morning News.
The lawyer representing the accuser contends that Judge Aiesha Redmond has a bias for Jones. Earlier this week, attorney Thomas Bowers III filed another recusal motion that focuses on a claim that a member of the judge's staff contacted a social-media commentator to alert her to an upcoming hearing and to offer ****** istance in connecting her audio/video equipment in court.
Jones's lawyer applauded the decision to let Judge Redmond remain on the case.
"This recusal motion had no basis in fact or law," Levi McCathern told the Morning News. "It was another delay tactic in a case that's been full of them. We're glad the judge saw through it and hopefully this finally gets the case back on track."

#case #redmond #lawyer

The Las Vegas Raiders held a joint practice with the host Houston Texans on Tuesday and, as head coach Klint Kubiak suggested might happen last week, rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza did, indeed, get some work with the first-team offense.
Mendoza got extensive work with the first- team offense for the first time in training camp and it came against the Texans' stout defense. He had some nice moments, but also struggled along with the rest of the Raiders' offense. He and expected starter Kirk Cousins threw Pick 6s.
Kubiak wouldn't say if the first team would play Thursday night against the Texans, but he did say Mendoza will get a lot of reps. He played from late in the first quarter until early in the fourth quarter against Arizona last week.
In other notes from the joint practice:
While it seemed like the Texans' defense won the day, the Raiders' had some highlights. Tight end Brock Bowers had some nice plays. Running back Ashton Jeanty made some plays in their receiving game and rookie running back Mike Washington had some big runs against the Texans' second-team defense.

#kubiak

The quarterback and tight end positions in auctions allow for freedom and creativity in how you approach the position in your draft. Unlike running back and wide receiver ‐ where the pressure to start multiple players creates an entirely different market ‐ quarterbacks and tight ends are "onesie" positions, as they are sometimes known.
Sure, there are only a few elite tight ends and quarterbacks that everyone is chasing, like Brock Bowers and Josh Allen, but there is not the same pressure that builds from scarcity during the auction. Generally, managers feel as though if they lose out on Drake Maye or Jalen Hurts, they can still feel pretty good about pivoting to Dak Prescott or Trevor Lawrence.
The thinking at tight end is similar. To an even greater extent, it lends itself to streaming from the waiver wire during the year. So naturally, managers would rather spend more money to secure that last WR2 than save that money to upgrade from Lawrence to Jayden Daniels or Harold Fannin to Tyler Warren. This depresses prices and provides buying opportunities.
Let us look at the three typical strategies for landing your quarterback and tight end in auctions, and do it through the lens of real pricing from some recent auctions. We have five data points from five auctions spanning June, July, and early August.
Every auction is going to be different, but there are trends we can pull from these prices that tell us a fairly reliable range where we will be able to draft these players in our own leagues. Of course, we all play with different settings and salary caps, but for purposes of this article, we will talk about a $200 cap and mostly be dealing with typical starting lineups using three wide receivers and a flex.

#different #quarterback

It's fantasy football mock draft SZN. We completed a chaotic one on YouTube where I leaned heavily into RBs because there were two flex spots and the board just fell that way, but that was a very unique build. Today's team is far more standard for a full-PPR team. Let's dive in.
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Here's a look at the full list of picks for the first 10 rounds of the Full-PPR, 12-team mock draft.
Round 1: I picked fourth overall, which is where I want to be in general. In this dream scenario, Puka Nacua fell to me despite me considering him the 1.01 in full-PPR formats. It'd be Nacua, Ja'Marr Chase, Jahmyr Gibbs and then Bijan Robinson for me at the top before a slight tier drop to Christian McCaffrey, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jonathan Taylor. That tier has slightly more risk or slightly less upside than the Big 4. What I wouldn't recommend is James Cook III at third overall, like my friend Aaron. In fact, Cook's lack of receiving profile keeps him out of my top-12 rankings entirely.
Round 2: After the star talents at RB get scooped up, my attention always goes to Brock Bowers in full-PPR re-draft formats. The drop-off at TE scoring after the top-eight this year is concerning, and I'm struggling to find breakout sleepers at the position. Bowers is uniquely set up for a 28% or higher target share while competing for looks with Jalen Nailor and Tre Tucker. That's the difference between my Round 2 Bowers ranking and my Round 3 Trey McBride ranking. In general, I don't see any obvious fades in Round 2. I'm most skeptical of Omarion Hampton's workload and Ashton Jeanty's touchdown upside early in Round 2, but their upside is obvious. The lone true mistake in this mock draft is Kyren Williams at 2.23, given how much Blake Corum threatened him last year (I drafted Corum later in this draft).

#full #draft #nacua #corum

Monday, at Intermountain Health Performance Center, brought a game-week rhythm ahead of the team's first preseason game. Thursday, the Raiders will play their first game at Allegiant Stadium under head coach Klint Kubiak when they face the Arizona Cardinals.
Both Kirk Cousins and Jermod McCoy were making heads turn as the Raiders get dialed in for their first action 0f 2026
Let's dive into Monday's training camp practice.
Credit: Mike Aguirre/Raiders.com
Monday, Cousins was back with the first team. He had been held out of team periods Saturday after a Friday scuffle with Maxx Crosby. Cousins made up for the missed time. He threw touchdowns to Brock Bowers and Jalen Nailor, connected with Malik Benson on a big play and turned in his best day of camp.

#first #game #Monday

To the surprise of some, Las Vegas Raiders star tight end Brock Bowers is not a part of the 99 club in Madden's latest release. Despite his All Pro rookie season, injuries took their toll last season, limiting his playing time on the year, and diminishing his potential to put up huge numbers.
No matter, he marveled with several big plays, including a spectacular one-handed catch against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13, which contributes toward him being one of the most exciting players to get ready to use in Madden 27.
Let's take a look at Bowers' overall rating in Madden 27, with the game set to release on all platforms on Aug. 13, and what specifically contributed toward him being the well-rounded tight end that he is in the game.
Brock Bowers has a 93 overall rating in Madden NFL 27.
Arizona Cardinals TE Trey McBride (99 overall) and San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle (96 overall) were the only two tight ends who received higher overall ratings than Bowers in Madden 27.

#bowers #release #rating

One of the most important tenets of building out a roster is to know the store you're shopping at. NFL clubs need to nail their draft picks, guess right on scheme fits in big-money free agency and trade the right amount of capital when swinging deals. One of the unsung parts of talent acquisition though is knowing which aisles to walk down when looking for those red dot specials.
Most folks wouldn't consider the Las Vegas Raiders a factory for talent. Grabbing cast offs from there is often a fruitless exercise, and that can be viewed with the recen release of DE Charles Snowden, who was suspended for thiree games to start the season before training camp began. The team has since released him. But the Raiders do have one area of their team worth paying attention to; the tight end position. On Thursday, the Dallas Cowboys grabbed a former member of that group to augment their own summer trials, claiming Zack Kuntz off of waivers.
Now make no mistake, Kuntz is an extreme long shot to latch on with Dallas. But the circumstances of moving Princeton Fant to IR after he tore his ACL, opened up a spot at the back end of the positional depth chart while the team works in Oxnard, CA.
And if a team is going to claim a released tight end, getting one from a team that employs one of the best TEs in football in Brock Bowers, plus former second-round pick Michael Mayer.
Kuntz isn't that, but replacing TE4 or TE5 on the depth chart with a player from a club that has a pretty good track record of picking the position makes a ton of sense.

#kuntz #released

Rotoworld's Top 200 Rankings—an average of ranks from Denny Carter, Patrick Daugherty, and myself—are live. They're updated with every news item and training camp update we get. Using them as a baseline, I've created tiers for every position. We view players within a tier roughly equally. Knowing when to strike at a position is just as important as knowing who to draft. These tiers should help you structure your draft in a way that maximizes value.
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No surprises here as the TE1 overall in 2025 and 2024 appear in the first tier. The ceiling with these two players is limitless in a way other tight ends can only dream of. McBride posted the third-most points for a tight end in NFL history last year, largely by setting the receptions record at 126. That goes down as 10 more than any other tight end in league history. Bowers holds the record for fantasy points by a rookie tight end. Even in a down 2025 season, his 43.3 PPR points in Week 9—on the back of a 12-127-3 receiving line—are the fourth-most for a tight end since the turn of the century. In both season-long and single-week measures, these two tight ends stand above the rest.
I strongly considered moving Loveland into Tier 1 and Warren into Tier 3. Loveland's final four games (including the postseason) were off the charts. He was targeted 48 times in total and topped 90 yards in three contests. Ben Johnson funneled him a 31 percent target share and a 35 percent air yards share. The Bears asked Loveland to be the centerpiece of their passing attack late in his rookie season and he only got better with more on his plate.
Warren, on the other hand, fizzled out down the stretch, finishing as a weekly TE1 for the final time in Week 12. With Daniel Jones under center, Warren was on pace for a monstrous season. Warren averaged 12.9 PPR points per game in 12 contests with Jones healthy. He was posting 1.9 yards per route run and .21 targets per route. Loveland finished the year at 1.9 and .23. We're likely looking at two very similar seasons if Jones stays healthy. Maybe he doesn't in 2026, but that's not a good reason for Warren to go two rounds after Loveland in fantasy drafts.

#tight #tier #week

The Los Angeles Rams lit up the scoreboard last season as the No. 1 offense in the NFL, and they're returning all of their key players. Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Kyren Williams are the primary skill players around Matthew Stafford, but second-year tight end Terrance Ferguson should not be forgotten.
Ferguson made the most of his limited opportunities last season, averaging 21 yards per catch on 11 receptions, with three of those catches going for touchdowns. Entering Year 2, Ferguson's stock is trending up.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently visited Rams training camp and from what he's heard, Ferguson has had a "fantastic offseason" and the Rams "now believe he could grow into one of the NFL's best tight ends.
On offense, Davante Adams, Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams are where you'd expect them to be, and Colby Parkinson is leading a deep, versatile tight end group. The second layer of skill talent is where the offense could look a little different than it did a year ago. Terrance Ferguson has had a fantastic offseason. He is now proving to be a guy who can play all over the formation and looks like he could be a force after the catch, showing why the Rams coveted him in the 2025 draft and now believe he could grow into one of the NFL's best tight ends. Blake Corum has also worked to earn carries alongside Williams, seeing the game faster, and looking like a guy who could add a big-play element to the Rams' physical run game. If there's a question on offense, it's at tackle, where Alaric Jackson is facing potential discipline from the NFL, and Rob Havenstein retired.
Considering how much talent there is at the tight end position across the NFL right now, those are some seriously high expectations. If he were to somehow develop into a player of Trey McBride or Brock Bowers' caliber, it would completely change the complexion of the offense.

#offense #adams

Ricky Pearsall's 2026 season is over before it even started. The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver will undergo season-ending surgery to treat a PCL injury that's nagged him since the 2025 campaign, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
After bursting out the gate with 16 catches and 281 yards in his first three games of 2025, Pearsall suffered the PCL injury and was never the same. The former first-round pick missed eight games with the injury and looked hampered upon his return, leading to more receiving work for Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle.
PCL injuries are notoriously difficult to play through because they lead to knee instability, according to Harvard Health. Brock Bowers and Drake London also dealt with PCL injuries in 2025 and didn't exactly play up to their elite standards while recovering.
Pearsall is a massive loss for the 49ers, who are hoping to make a deep playoff push after the rival Seattle Seahawks blasted them 41-6 in the Divisional Round last postseason.
Brandon Aiyuk is still away from the team as he's lobbying for a trade to the Washington Commanders, plus Jauan Jennings is now on the Minnesota Vikings. However, the 49ers added reinforcements in longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneer Mike Evans and second-round pick De'Zhaun Stribling. Here's a look at how the unit could shake out this season.

#injury #according #first

There were fans on hand for training camp practice for the first time. And they were treated to the direct sun side of the field. The players, on the other hand, see the direct sun every day, and the 95 degree morning heat that comes with it. That didn't stop them from putting some good looking product on the field, though.
Here are a few standouts from today.
He was absolutely dealing. Perfect passes perfectly placed all day, leading to some great catches that seemed near impossible for defenders to get to. This included dime ***** in the back left corner of the end zone to Brock Bowers and the back right corner to Tre Tucker. Then a tight fit ball to Jack Bech in the back of the end zone.
Two days in a row now Brock has been among the standouts. His first great catch came on a deep crossing route from right to left, leaving Isaiah Pola-Mao with no chance at it. Later Brock gave rookie Zeke Masses a welcome to the NFL moment, beating him on a corner route for a touchdown.
The first play Bech made was a nice block on a run out to the left. Then in red zone sessions, he beat Eric Stokes in the back of the end zone for the score.

#field

Wednesday, Auburn women's tennis released its upcoming schedule for the 2026 fall.
The schedule provided by head coach Jordan Szabo, the Tigers will be competing through three Intercollegiate Tennis ****** ociation events for a bid in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships. The individual championships will be held in November.
The Tigers open up the fall with the ITA All-American Championships in Cary, North Carolina on Sept. 19-27. Early October will see them in the ITA Southern Regional Championships in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on the 8th through 12th.
Then a trip to Rome, Georgia to compete in the RTC Collegiate Invite on Oct. 23-25 and then to Knoxville, Tennessee for the ITA South Sectional Championships on No. 5-8. If they advance, the NCAA Singles & Doubles Championships will be held in Athens, Georgia on Nov. 17-22.
Players Ava Esposito and Ashton Bowers both earned bids last season to the NCAA Singles Championship. Esposito would make it to the round of 16 and finished with an ITA Singles All-American honor.

#doubles #georgia

I broke down the 2027 scouting classes in my early summer scouting series, and the room has a ton of potential with a long list of potential standout players. I broke down the offense and defense in articles and I suggest reading those for a broad aspect of the room. Brock Bowers remains an elite tight end, and arguably the best in the NFL, but the Raiders do have some questions behind Bowers after the 2026 season. Former 2nd rounder Michael Mayer is sent to be a free agent, and with a good season he should be looking at a decent contract as a TE2, blocking specialist. Additionally, Ian Thomas is set to be a free agent and Las Vegas also has former UDFA Carter Runyon, who's flashed, but it's likely even with retaining Mayer the Raiders should add another TE.
These rankings are extremely early, and they will evolve over not only the summer but the next 8-10 months throughout the season, and into draft season. Some lists will feature 10, 15, 20, or more ranked prospects but I'll include others on the list below to note.
Jamari Johnson, Oregon – 6'5/260, R-So
Johnson was a key focal point of the Ducks offense last year with 32 receptions, 510 yards, and 3 TD after coming over from Louisville. He's better than Kenyon Sadiq, and in my opinion has a chance to be a better prospect than Bowers. Johnson has absurd movement skills, he's shown exceptional length, fires off the ball, and Johnson also shows a ton of quickness and movement in his route running. Johnson has fluid hips, he makes his cuts well, and Johnson shows an innate ability to adjust to the ball in the air and come down with tough catches. Where he makes a ton of impact is as a run blocker, where Johnson uses his length and athleticism with good technique, and a ton of lower body power to get off the line of scrimmage and into ***** e. Johnson will need to continue his play as the starter at TE, instead of the supplementary piece, but he has the core traits, athleticism, and technique to be a top 10 pick.
Peter Clarke, Temple – 6'6/270, Sr

#johnson #bowers #down

Here's a terrifying thought for you: one day in the distant future college football fans may forget just how amazing Brock Bowers was during his Georgia Bulldogs career.
I know, it's difficult to imagine. Bowers played three seasons of college football and was named All-SEC and All-American in each of them. He won the Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end two years running. Over 50 catches every season, 2538 receiving yards, and 26 receiving touchdowns. Every honor and number is truly impressive.
But a picture is worth a thousand words. Just ask the South Carolina Gamecocks.
In 2022 Bowers could have beaten Shane Beamer's squad all by himself, scoring three touchdowns, one on the ground and two through the air, including a 78 yarder in which he made the Gamecock defense look like it was stuck in concrete.
Unfortunately for the Garnet and Black Bowers had teammates, on both sides of the ball. The Gamecocks ran only 34 plays on offense in a first half that saw them shut out while the Bulldogs cruised out to a 24-0 halftime lead. Somehow it got even worse in the second half, with Georgia veritably tap dancing to a three more touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 45-0 lead into the fourth quarter. The Dawgs would tack on one more field goal before the 'Cocks got on the board late to avoid a shutout, losing "only" 48-7.

#bulldogs #Football

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins will need to produce under center in 2026. Fernando Mendoza's presence in Las Vegas takes some pressure off of Cousins for next season, though in the event that the latter is named the starting QB, he will still carry major expectations on the year.
According to CBS Sports' Zachary Pereles, Cousins is one of four quarterbacks who face defining seasons in 2026 with their respective new teams.
Before the injury, Cousins was somewhat like Sam Darnold, whom Klint Kubiak really did well with last year. Can he still be somewhat similar to that, even if a step down? … They'll (the Raiders) hope Tyler Linderbaum helps elevate the unit as a whole, but Cousins behind an iffy line is a scary proposition. Expect a heavy dose of Bowers. Cousins found a good connection with Pitts last year; he'll feed his standout tight end.
Cousins is looking to bounce back from injuries that slowed him down for the last two years. The Raiders have an improved roster for next season, particularly on offense, with an upgraded offensive line and more depth in the backfield. The 37-year-old Cousins is expected to orchestrate that unit and be a mentor to Mendoza regardless of who gets the start in Week 1.
With the different ways that Cousins will be looked at to make an impact on the team in 2026 and set the tone for the franchise, he approaches a year that carries major implications for himself and the Raiders.

Las Vegas Raiders star Brock Bowers rose to prominence during his rookie season in 2024 as one of the best tight ends in football. Though Bowers missed time due to being hurt in 2025, he is still viewed as being among the elite tight ends in the NFL as the new season approaches.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Bowers ranks as the No. 1 overall tight end in the NFL for the 2026 season. The poll was voted on by NFL coaches, executives and scouts.
“People inside the league love Bowers' versatility as an offensive chess piece. He can line up in the slot, out wide or even as a fullback. He has breakaway speed, too, pushing a top speed of 19.58 mph on a 57-yard touchdown vs. Denver in 2024, per NFL Next Gen Stats.”
Bowers still managed to record 680 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 2025 despite playing in only 12 games on the year. He was on pace to record 963 receiving yards had he played in all 17 games last season, just short of a second consecutive 1,000-yard season after going for 1,194 yards the year prior, but still showed the ability to make spectacular catches and perform at the highest level at the position.
Bowers was given the nod over Arizona Cardinals TE Trey McBride (No. 2) and San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle (No. 3) by those polled for the story, the former of whom went for 1,239 yards last season, and the latter having been one of the best players at the position of this generation.

Who are the top 10 current tight ends in the NFL?
As we approach NFL teams opening their annual training camps, ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches, and scouts to help them (ESPN) rank the top 10 players at 11 different positions. Today it was the tight ends.
Do the Washington Commanders have a tight end on the top-10 list? Will the Commanders face any of the top 10 tight ends in 2026?
1. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders: Bowers caught four passes for 38 yards in the 2025 game vs Washington.
2. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals: The Commanders will be challenged by McBride and the Cardinals on November 29 in Arizona.

With the San Francisco 49ers wrapping up their organized team activities and skipping mandatory minicamp, Kyle Shanahan's team is on their long break before training camp at their SAP Performance Facility later this month.
This down time across the NFL provides an excellent opportunity for the fans and media to discuss where players and teams stand before the start of the season.
One example of that is ESPN's annual coaches, executive top 10 lists for each position. On Friday, they released their top 10 tight ends, and 49ers tight end George Kittle came in at No. 3, falling one spot from last year.
"Injuries and durability are becoming a concern, but when he's healthy, he's still the most versatile, dominant, complete tight end," an NFC executive told ESPN. "He's still the gold standard for blocking, running and catching."
Brock Bowers and Trey McBride were the only two tight ends ranked above Kittle, while Sam LaPorta, Tyler Warren, Tucker Kraft, Colston Loveland, Kyle Pitts, Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce rounded out the top 10.

Recent rankings magnify Evan Engram's poor 2025 season with Broncos originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Denver Broncos looked like they might have made the biggest signing of the 2025 offseason when they got Evan Engram to agree to a free-agent contract with them for two years. But to say he had a poor season in his first year with the team would be putting it mildly.
Engram caught 50 passes for 461 yards and one touchdown last season, but if you watched every game, it didn't even feel like he did that much. Still, the Broncos have him positioned as the No. 1 tight end on the depth chart heading into 2026.
Recently, ESPN asked a group of NFL executives, coaches and scouts to rank the best players at each position in the league and when it came to the tight end position, Engram wasn't on their radar.
The top 10 is filled with young players such as Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland. Travis Kelce still sneaks into the top 10 as well.

Though it may be the start of summer, it's never too early to begin prepping for 2026 fantasy football drafts. That's why Rotoworld's NFL writers are getting you ready with everything you need to know. From depth chart ***** ysis, updated superstar outlooks, and under-the-radar draft targets, it's the perfect time to dive in.
This year's fantasy football landscape features major names in new places. A.J. Brown will catch passes from Drake Maye in New England, while No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza completely changes things for Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers in Las Vegas. Elsewhere, Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III is set to lead Kansas City's backfield, with former Dolphin Jaylen Waddle joining Sean Payton and Bo Nix in Denver. The 2026 season will feature yet another exciting wave of rookies looking to make noise in fantasy, including RB Jeremiyah Love, WR Carnell Tate, and WR Makai Lemon.
Whether you're locked in on draft prep or looking for a place to start, we’ve got you covered. This hub is your one-stop shop for all of our fantasy team previews for the next several weeks.
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