Las Vegas Raiders: Why Darren Waller will be an All-Pro in 2021
By CJ Errickson
The Las Vegas Raiders have a special talent in tight end Darren Waller, who will be an All-Pro for the first time during the 2021 season.
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller had an exceptional season for the Silver and Black in 2020, as he was a consistent matchup nightmare each week. No matter where he was aligned on the field, the opposition was left helpless.
Las Vegas standout offensive threat led all tight ends in the NFL last season with 107 receptions. In addition, he had a 73.8% catch rate that also led at his position group. These impressive numbers earned the 28-year old a Pro Bowl nod, but he did not receive one vote to be deemed a member of the All-Pro team.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce received a unanimous bid that negated an All-Pro second-team tight end. As controversial as this may appear, the 2021 season in Las Vegas may see Waller as the 2021 first-team All-Pro at the position.
The Raiders’ offseason transactions will elevate Waller’s production.
The Silver and Black underwent another tumultuous offseason in terms of roster turnover. While the defense has been in disarray for years, the offense received an unexpected shake-up this past offseason as well.
A newcomer to the Raider organization in 2020 was former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who burst onto the scene and was Derek Carr’s No. 1 wide receiver target. Unfortunately, the former Eagle elected to sign with the New England Patriots this offseason, and while Las Vegas did sign veteran receivers John Brown and Willie Snead, there are large shoes to fill at the wideout position with Nelson’s departure.
Reluctantly, this will either assist the younger receivers in stepping up or ensure that Darren Waller receives even more of the workload, specifically in the red zone.
It is unlikely that the former happens, as the Las Vegas Raiders in Jon Gruden’s offense do not target wide receivers enough, whether veteran or rookie. Some may look at that negatively, but all this means that in 2021, Darren Waller can only surpass what he did last season. For opposing defenders, that is a horrifying thought.