The Baltimore Ravens will have to stop multiple playmakers on the Las Vegas Raiders’ offense during their Week 1 prime-time matchup. Wide receivers Henry Ruggs III, Bryan Edwards and Hunter Renfrow could all present problems for Baltimore’s defense, but it feels like the one player who the Ravens should pay the most attention to on the offensive side of the ball (outside of quarterback Derek Carr) is tight end Darren Waller.
Waller has turned himself into one the best tight ends in the NFL after being picked up by Las Vegas. He was let go by Baltimore after multiple suspensions, but has since turned his career and life around. When asked about Waller and what makes him so special, Ravens defensive coordinator Don Martindale explained his athletic ability, as well as the fact that he’s one of Carr’s favorite targets.
“He’s a great athlete, and he was tough when he was here and taking the reps against the defense. There were some times [when] we’d just say, ‘That’s Waller.’ He’s everything that you knew he would be. I’m happy for him – not [on] Monday night, but any other time I’ll be happy for him – because he’s a good person, and he’s gone through a lot of things to get where he’s at, and we really respect that. I think last year he was second in the league, as far as the guy who was going to get the ball in the red zone, both in yards and everything else. So, he’s definitely a target and one of [Derek] Carr’s favorite targets.”
The tight end was selected by Baltimore in the sixth round of the 2015 draft. He was originally a wide receiver, but made the transition to tight end ahead of the 2016 season. He’s accumulated 215 receptions for 2,519 yards and 14 touchdowns in his career, and is a matchup nightmare. With Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith most likely not playing against the Raiders, Baltimore will have to find other players to put on Waller. If the Ravens can neutralize the tight end and force Carr to throw the ball elsewhere, the game will be much easier for Baltimore’s defense, as Waller can create some problems all over the field, especially in the red zone.