There were some bright spots last season for the Raiders. The rookie class seems to get most of the attention because everyone loves to see their original youngsters come out of the gates quickly. They weren’t alone, though, among those who came out of the woodwork to make their presence known.
Those players who didn’t burst onto the scene as rookies deserve some credit for stepping up to the plate. The key for them now is to ensure last season wasn’t a one-off. To keep this team moving in the right direction, they need to either keep it going or take another step forward.
TE Darren Waller
The man who went from obscurity to one of the best tight ends in the league seemingly overnight. Waller was on the Ravens’ practice squad when the Raiders snatched him away late in the 2018 season. Gruden had enough faith in him that he let Jared Cook leave in free agency and Waller rewarded that faith with a season of 90 catches of 1,145 yards and 3 touchdowns.
He’s not in obscurity anymore. Now he’s seen as a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end and bona fide fantasy stud who will be the TE1 on many squads this coming season. His 1,145 yards last season was the most by a Raiders tight end since Todd Christensen in 1986 (1,153).
The thing is, Christensen had two seasons with more yards than Waller did last year. He hit a franchise tight end record 1,247 yards in 1983. So, Waller still has a franchise-record to reach for and at 27 years old, his best football is in front of him. Oh, by the way, Christensen was 27 when he set that record.
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