There are a lot of changing parts for the Raiders’ offense heading into the 2019 season. The team has two new starting receivers, a new left guard and a new right tackle. But one move that has gone under the radar some is the loss of tight end Jared Cook, who led the team in receptions and receiving yards in 2019.
Looking to fill that void will be former Georgia Tech receiver turned-tight end Darren Waller. Waller has been the target of a lot of offseason buzz due to comments from head coach Jon Gruden. The relatively unknown tight end will likely get the first crack at winning the starting tight end job once the season begins.
With Waller’s hype at an all-time high, many in the league and in the NFL media are expecting a massive breakout in 2019. In a recent article by NFL.com’s David Carr, Waller was listed as one of the top-10 tight ends in the league heading into the season. Take a look at what the brother of the Raiders’ franchise quarterback had to say about Oakland’s new tight end:
Waller is my wild-card selection for this list, and I’m basing my projection on what I saw during OTAs, as he has just 18 career catches in 22 games. However, like former Raider Jared Cook, Waller can beat single coverage as a receiver and also fulfill his blocking and chipping duties. This under-the-radar tight end will be one of those players who sneakily racks up 100 yards in a game. With Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams and Josh Jacobs attracting so much attention from defenses, Waller is poised for a breakout campaign in 2019.
While Waller certainly could excel this season, listing him as one of the top tight ends in the league currently is awfully bold. Then again, Carr should have a pretty good idea if Waller’s quarterback will look to him often this season. Expect Waller to quickly become one of Derek Carr’s favorite targets and set career highs across the board.
