Just Blog Baby
FanSided

4 Las Vegas Raiders who really need to step up in 2022

By Sean Basile

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 06: (EDITORS NOTE - This image has been converted to black and white) Oakland Raiders helmet is seen on the field after the game between Chicago Bears and Oakland Raiders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 06, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 06: (EDITORS NOTE - This image has been converted to black and white) Oakland Raiders helmet is seen on the field after the game between Chicago Bears and Oakland Raiders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 06, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 4
Next
HENDERSON, NEVADA – JULY 27: Tight end Darren Waller #83 of the Las Vegas Raiders walks on a field during the team’s first fully padded practice during training camp at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center on July 27, 2022, in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
HENDERSON, NEVADA – JULY 27: Tight end Darren Waller #83 of the Las Vegas Raiders walks on a field during the team’s first fully padded practice during training camp at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center on July 27, 2022, in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Las Vegas Raiders who really need to step up in 2022

No. 4: Darren Waller

Finally, we HAVE to talk about Number 83.

I don’t necessarily believe his position on the Raiders is at stake, but what we saw in 2021 was a steep drop-off from what he was able to do in 2019 and 2020. 2021 needs to be a serious bounce-back for Waller after going from not just a full 16 games in 2021 to 11 games in 2022, but also (and more importantly):

1,196 receiving yards in 2020 to 665 in 2021
107 receptions in 2020 to 55 in 2021
73.8% catch rate in 2020 to 59.1% in 2021
145 targets in 2020 to 93 in 2021

I distinctly remember thinking to myself, as I was watching the Raiders play the Ravens this past year on Monday Night Football, that Waller was right there with Travis Kelce as the best tight end in football.

This also being fresh on the heels of his monstrous 2020 season.

And since that moment, it’s been nothing but downhill. Injury-wise and also production.

I get it. He was probably hurt for a larger portion of 2021 than we were led to believe, but “recency bias” tells me Waller needs a serious resurgence in 2022 if he’s going to ever get back to what we saw him do in 2019 and 2020.

Next. As crazy as it sounds, the Las Vegas Raiders lack speed. dark

Home/Las Vegas Raiders News