Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller getting national attention
By Brad Weiss
After a breakout 2019 campaign, Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller is getting some national attention, and rightfully so.
Darren Waller came to the Raiders franchise with a checkered past, so nobody really knew what to expect from him at the start. However, since he has come over to the Silver and Black, he has not only cleaned his off the field life up, but he has become one of the premier tight ends in football, becoming as good a player as he is a person.
Finally, he is getting the kind of national attention he deserves.
The NFL Network tweeted out a top-5 tight end list by Bucky Brooks, and Waller came in as the No. 5 best tight end in the league. Waller, who is coming off a 90-catch season a year ago, has blossomed since putting on the Silver and Black, and should once again be in for a monster season in 2020.
Waller comes in at No. 5 on the list
The list had San Francisco’s George Kittle at No. 1, which is hard to argue with. Kittle was followed by Travis Kelce from Kansas City and Zach Ertz from Philadelphia, before the list gets interesting. Former Raiders tight end Jared Cook was listed as the No. 4 tight end in the league, with Waller coming in at No. 5, but I could argue Waller should be at least at No. 4.
Cook is a solid tight end, and had some good years in Oakland, but at this point, you have to think Waller is the more dynamic, and dominant tight end. Either way, Waller is starting to garner the kind of national attention he deserves, and after a breakout 2019 campaign, he is just getting started.
Waller will have much better weapons around him this season, as the Raiders brought in some playmakers who can help take the focus off of him. Still, he became a security blanket for Derek Carr last season, earning his trust, and Carr is always at his best when he has a pass-catching tight end like Waller, or Cook.
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In 2019, Waller was named to the Pro Bowl as an alternate, but with a solid 2020 campaign, there is no way he is not voted to his first Pro Bowl. The Raiders should be a playoff contender this season, and if they do end up making it to their second playoff appearance in nearly 20 years, Waller is going to be a big reason why.