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Analyst Says Klint Kubiak Could Make Brock Bowers the Raiders’ Primary Receiving Weapon

ESPN’s Ben Solak argues Kubiak’s habit of funneling volume to one pass-catcher could produce a Smith‑Njigba–style target share for Bowers this season.

Overview

  • Recent reports on July 14–15, 2026 highlight ESPN analyst Ben Solak projecting that new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak may focus the passing game around tight end Brock Bowers.
  • Solak’s appraisal is a preseason projection based on Kubiak’s play‑calling history and is not a confirmed game plan for the regular season.
  • Analysts point to Las Vegas’s underwhelming wide receiver room as a reason Kubiak might concentrate targets on one player and use two‑tight‑end formations to keep Bowers on the field.
  • Bowers produced one of the best rookie tight end seasons in 2024 but struggled in 2025 while playing through a knee injury that reporters described as a PCL strain and bone bruise.
  • Kubiak’s Seattle offense made Jaxon Smith‑Njigba the focal point last year — Smith‑Njigba took roughly 44.1% of Seattle’s receiving yards — so a similar heavy target share for Bowers would change how defenses plan and how Las Vegas’s quarterbacks are asked to distribute the ball.