Rob Gronkowski, one of the better known tight ends in NFL history, believes Brock Bowers can be better than him.
“The guy is a winner,” Gronkowski, a four-time Super Bowl champion member of the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time team, said of the former Georgia star who now is a Las Vegas Raiders rookie.
“The guy is a playmaker whenever the ball is thrown to him, (and) I love his explosiveness after the catch,” Gronkowski said during his appearance on the “Up & Adams Show” on Tuesday.
“I feel like he’s on track to be better than myself.”
Bowers, arguably the most important — if not irreplaceable — player in Georgia’s back-to-back title runs, has made an immediate impact with the Raiders.
Bowers, drafted No. 13 overall in the NFL draft, leads all tight ends in targets (17), receptions (15) and receiving yards (156) through the first two games this season.
Bowers also is tied for first among tight ends in receiving first downs (8) and ranks third in yards after the catch (58).
The 15 catches and 156 yards mark the best start to a season by a rookie tight end in NFL history, leading Bowers to be nominated for the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week Award in each of this first two weeks.
“He is awesome, man, he is so good, great feeling in zone, can get open in man (coverage),” Las Vegas quarterback Gardner Minshew II said. “Had to take a shot to him on third down, and he goes and makes a huge play for us.
“Man, I think he is going to be really special, and we have got to continue to develop chemistry there and get him going.”
Las Vegas, coming off a 26-23 road upset at Baltimore, plays host to Carolina (Sept. 22) and Cleveland (Sept. 29) in the coming weeks, before a divisional showdown at Denver on Oct. 6.
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