Las Vegas Raiders: Why Darren Waller will be the best TE in the NFL in 2021
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders already have an elite player at tight end in Darren Waller, but in 2021, he will emerge as the best in the game at his position.
Since returning to the sidelines as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, Jon Gruden has made more than his fair share of questionable decisions. He has completely revamped the roster, trading away stars like Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper, and the results have been up and down, to say the least.
However, one move that he has made that has been a stroke of genius was the signing of Darren Waller, who he plucked off the practice squad in Baltimore. Since putting on the Silver and Black, Waller has been one of the best tight ends in football and entering his third full season with the Raiders, he is just getting started.
Raiders star Darren Waller already one of the elite
Last season, Waller earned his first Pro Bowl nod, as he hauled in a team-record 107 catches for nearly 1,200 yards. For a team with major question marks at the wide receiver position, Waller was a constant for Derek Carr, as he was targeted 145 times and scored nine touchdowns.
In fact, Carr has targeted Waller over 100 times each year across the last two seasons, and the results have been off the charts. He has emerged as one of the elite in the NFL at his position group, and not only will he be in the running for his first All-Pro season in 2021, but I believe he is going to emerge as the best in the game.
He is the total package, plays hurt, and will be a key if the Raiders are to make a serious run to the playoffs. If they win, and he puts up the kind of numbers he has done consistently, it would be hard to argue that he is not in the conversation with George Kittle and Travis Kelce.
Based on this roster, and the weapons, it is going to be another monster statistical season for Waller in 2021. If he continues to trend in the direction he has been, a 1,500-yard season is certainly possible, and based on the total package, he will emerge as the No. 1 tight end in the NFL in his third full season with the Raiders.