Assistant GM of the Raiders, Champ Kelly, responded to the decision to draft Brock Bowers, saying they cannot confirm the claim of it being a ‘coin toss’.

Champ Kelly, the assistant general manager of the Raiders, was inquired about Arnold’s statement on Wednesday.

Whether it was an actual coin-flip or symbolic, the Las Vegas Raiders made a decision between two options for the No. 13 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

It is possible that Arnold was using the phrase “coin toss” as a metaphor to suggest a close decision between the two players in the Vegas draft room, assuming that “the Raiders coach” referred to Pierce.

“The Lions were aware that the Raiders may have chosen me,” Arnold revealed on The Next Round podcast. “In fact, the Raiders’ coach reached out to me after the draft and shared, ‘We had a coin toss between you and Brock Bowers. It ended up landing on him.'”

“Can’t confirm” isn’t exactly “lol, no way,” but let’s presume the Raiders under new general manager Tom Telesco didn’t literally leave the team’s future up to a flip’s fate — or maybe he used Harvey Dent’s original two-headed coin.

Regardless of whether they have a coin or not, the Raiders chose Bowers to enhance their passing attack, which already boasts talented players such as Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers. As one of the most promising prospects in the draft, Vegas plans to utilize Bowers’ versatility in his rookie season.

As per Terrion Arnold, a rookie cornerback for the Detroit Lions, Antonio Pierce, the head coach of the Raiders, mentioned that it was a 50/50 chance between Arnold and Bowers for the No. 13 spot.

He expressed doubt in confirming the statement and stated that Terrion is a skilled player. He looks forward to seeing his career progress and his performance on the field. However, the team already chose Brock in the draft and they are happy to have him join the team. He believes that everyone in the draft room shared the same sentiment.

The pick made by Vegas was tight end Brock Bowers, and it seems like it was a close decision.

Kelly’s statement describes the perspective of Vegas on Bowers and Michael Mayer, a second-round tight end in the 2023 class. They are seen as a duo that will likely play together frequently in Luke Getsy’s offensive strategy.

“He plays tight end, but we view him as a dynamic player,” Kelly stated on Wednesday. “He will bring excitement to the team. We will observe how defenses react to him when he’s in the game.”