There were some bright spots last season for the Raiders. The rookie class seems to get most of the attention because everyone loves to see their original youngsters come out of the gates quickly. They weren’t alone, though, among those who came out of the woodwork to make their presence known.
Those players who didn’t burst onto the scene as rookies deserve some credit for stepping up to the plate. The key for them now is to ensure last season wasn’t a one-off. To keep this team moving in the right direction, they need to either keep it going or take another step forward.
TE Darren Waller
The man who went from obscurity to one of the best tight ends in the league seemingly overnight. Waller was on the Ravens’ practice squad when the Raiders snatched him away late in the 2018 season. Gruden had enough faith in him that he let Jared Cook leave in free agency and Waller rewarded that faith with a season of 90 catches of 1,145 yards and 3 touchdowns.
He’s not in obscurity anymore. Now he’s seen as a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end and bona fide fantasy stud who will be the TE1 on many squads this coming season. His 1,145 yards last season was the most by a Raiders tight end since Todd Christensen in 1986 (1,153).
The thing is, Christensen had two seasons with more yards than Waller did last year. He hit a franchise tight end record 1,247 yards in 1983. So, Waller still has a franchise-record to reach for and at 27 years old, his best football is in front of him. Oh, by the way, Christensen was 27 when he set that record.
OT Kolton Miller
Miller quieted the doubters in his second NFL season. He struggled mightily as a rookie and the question, for those who weren’t simply making broad assumptions, was whether his nagging knee injury the main reason why. It would seem, based on his play when healthy last season, that his knee was the primary culprit.
Miller did an outstanding job protecting the left side of the line. No one would mistake him for a Pro Bowler just yet, but there’s no reason to doubt that he can reach that level. He was in need of adding bulk to his 6-8 frame when he was selected at No.15 overall in the draft. Along with that, he had only been a full-time starter at UCLA for one season.
So, what we’re talking about is a step forward each of the past four years for Miller. From college backup to college starter to raw NFL rookie to solid second-year pro. That’s the kind of steady upward trajectory that could signal dominance is ahead for the 24-year-old.
S Erik Harris
Harris made his debut on the Raiders defense late in the 2018 season, starting the final four games. He looked to be in line for a shot at the starting job going into 2019. The team drafted Johnathan Abram at No. 27 overall and he was the starter to begin the season, but he injured his shoulder in the season opener and Harris stepped back into his starting safety job.
Harris started 14 games last season and lead the team with three interceptions – two of which he returned for touchdowns – and lead the secondary with 74 combined tackles, and was second on the team with eight pass breakups.
Once again Harris will have to earn his starting job with the team adding two safeties in free agency. They signed former Cowboys safety Jeff Heath and former Browns safety Damarious Randall, both to one-year deals.
What helps Harris’s value is he is a stellar special teams player. That’s where he made his NFL career before becoming a starter on defense. He has never shied away from doing his part on special teams and bided his time in case he was called upon. He has twice been called up the past two seasons, so he knows that going about his business leads to opportunities.
