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If you are an Oakland Raiders fan, you know who Darren Waller is and has been this season. He’s the team’s leading receiver and has been arguably their most important offensive player.
However, the national media hasn’t quite caught on to just how dominant of a player Waller really is. Through 10 games, Waller has caught 56 passes for 666 yards and three touchdowns. He’s one of the best tight ends in the league after the catch, and he’s just starting to scratch the surface of his potential.
In a recent piece by Pro Football Focus, the site named the most underrated player on every roster. Not surprisingly, Waller was the selection for the Raiders. Take a look at what they had to say about the team’s new star tight end:
Darren Waller missed significant time in each of his first three seasons due to injuries and off-field issues, but he has since overcome those and is breaking out with Oakland in 2019. Generating the third-highest grade (86.1) for a tight end so far, Waller has been Derek Carr’s go-to guy, with 28 more targets than any other receiver in the offense. Most of these targets have been quick passes of 2.5 seconds or less — on those passes specifically, Waller is third in PFF grade (89.2), third in explosive plays generated (11) and third in yards per reception (11.8).
Waller is a big reason why the Raiders’ offense has succeeded this season and ready to make a run at the playoffs. Look for the former Georiga Tech receiver to get a ton of work over the team’s final six games.
[lawrence-newsletter]