Sometimes NFL records stand for decades, but just a year after the Rams’ Puka Nacua broke the record for rookie receptions in a single season, another rookie now owns the mark.

Raiders tight end Brock Bowers had a dominant 2024 season and ranks among the NFL’s top pass catchers heading into Week 17. Bowers has already established himself as one of the game’s elite tight ends, even on a Raiders team that has a late-season 3-12 record.

The Georgia native was every bit as talented as advertised after Las Vegas selected him in the first round of the NFL Draft in April. Now, as the regular season ends, Bowers is closing in on a historic record and attempting to break Nacua’s rookie receptions record set in 2023.

Here’s what you need to know about how Bowers could soon claim the top spot on the rookie catching list.

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Brock Bowers stats

Bowers surpassed Nacua’s record with six catches against the Saints on Sunday. The Georgia native had as dominant a tight end rookie season as the league has ever seen. After the first half of the Week 17 game against the Saints, Bowers is among the NFL leaders in receptions (108) and receiving yards (1,144).

Here’s a look at where Bowers stands on the NFL leaderboards heading into Week 17:

Most NFL receptions in 2024

player	team	receptions
Yes’Marr Chase	Bengal	117
Brock Bowers	robber	108
Trey McBride	Cardinals	104
Malik Nabers	Giants	104
CeeDee Lamb	Cowboys	101
Amon-Ra St. Brown	Lions	101
Travis Kelce	Chiefs	97
Garrett Wilson	Jets	97
Jaxon Smith-Njigba	Seahawks	93
Justin Jefferson	Vikings	92

Most NFL receiving yards in 2024

player	team	Reception yards
Yes’Marr Chase	Bengal	1,612
Justin Jefferson	Vikings	1,387
CeeDee Lamb	Cowboys	1,194
Brian Thomas Jr.	Jaguars	1,179
Brock Bowers	robber	1,144
Malik Nabers	Giants	1,140
Amon-Ra St. Brown	Lions	1,126
Jaxon Smith-Njigba	Seahawks	1,089
Jerry Jeudy	Brown tones	1,072
AJ Brown	eagle	1,079

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Most NFL receptions come from a rookie

Bowers comes into a Week 17 matchup against the Saints needing just four catches to tie the game and five catches to break Nacua’s record of 105 rookie receptions in a single season.

Nacua broke the previous record of 104 rookie catches, then held by Jaylen Waddle of the Dolphins, in the Rams’ final regular season game of 2023. Here’s a look at the full list of all-time rookie catch leaders:

player	team	Year	receptions
Brock Bowers	robber	2024	108
Puka Nacua	Aries	2023	105
Jaylen Waddle	Dolphins	2021	104
Malik Nabers	Giants	2024	104
Anquan Boldin	Cardinals	2003	101
Michael Thomas	Saints	2016	92
Saquon Barkley	Giants	2018	91
Odell Beckham Jr.	Giants	2014	91
Eddie Royal	Broncos	2008	91
Amon-Ra St. Brown	Lions	2021	90
Terry Glenn	Patriots	1996	90

Most NFL receiving yards from a rookie

While the rookie receiving mark now belongs to Bowers, it would take two historic final weeks for him to take the rookie receiving yards record, also held by Nacua.

Bowers still needed 419 receiving yards entering Week 17 to match Nacua’s record, which meant he had to average about 209 receiving yards per game over the final two weeks of the regular season. In all likelihood, Bowers won’t break this record, but he should still finish at the top of the leaderboard.

However, in Week 17, Bowers broke Mike Ditka’s rookie TE receiving yards record, surpassing the Hall of Famer’s record of 1,076 yards set in 1961.

Here is the complete list of all-time rookie receiver yards leaders:

player	team	Year	Reception yards
Puka Nacua	Aries	2023	1,486
Bill Groman	Oiler	1960	1,473
Yes’Marr Chase	Bengal	2021	1,455
Justin Jefferson	Vikings	2020	1,400
Anquan Boldin	Cardinals	2003	1,377
Randy Moss	Vikings	1998	1,313
Odell Beckham Jr.	Giants	2014	1,305
Billy Howton	packer	1952	1,231
Michael Clayton	privateer	2004	1,193
Brian Thomas Jr.	Jaguars	2024	1,179
Brock Bowers	robber	2024	1,144
Malik Nabers	Giants	2024	1,140
Michael Thomas	Saints	2016	1,137
Terry Glenn	Patriots	1996	1,132
Bill Brooks	Colts	1986	1,131
Harlon Hill	Bears	1954	1,124
Garrett Wilson	Jets	2022	1,103
Mike Ditka	Bears	1961	1,076
Amari Cooper	robber	2015	1,070
Ernest Givins	Oiler	1986	1,062

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Designed by Brock Bowers

After amassing 2,538 receiving yards in three seasons at Georgia, Bowers was selected 13th overall by the Raiders in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was the fourth pass catcher taken off the board (behind Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze), but the first tight end to be selected.

As a prospect, Bowers was praised for his route running, yards after the catch and athleticism, all of which translated to the field in his first season with Las Vegas.