When the Oakland Raiders allowed Pro Bowl tight end, Jared Cook, to enter free agency, many questioned Jon Gruden’s plan at the position. Cook was the team’s leading receiver in 2018 and appeared to be a perfect fit in Gruden’s offense. However, the team felt there was a player behind him on the depth chart that could (easily) replace his production; Darren Waller.
After spending the first few years of his career as a wide receiver in Baltimore, the Raiders decided to take a chance on the former Georgia Tech weapon. They immediately moved the 6’6, 240 pound Waller to tight end and that move appears to have saved his career.
In his first career start, Waller caught seven passes for 70 yards against Denver’s stout defense. His best play was on the opening drive of the game, where he made an outstanding reception down the sideline over top of a defender. Take a look here via the Oakland Raiders’ Twitter account:
Waller still needs to improve as a blocker and could stand to expound on his route tree, but the talent is undeniable. Waller already appears to be one of Derek Carr’s favorite targets, and that’s not going to change any time soon.
Look for Waller to continue to be used in the short to intermediate passing game and for the Raiders to consider using him in the red zone. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Waller catch 70 or more passes during his first season as a tight end in Oakland.
