Over his five seasons with the Raiders, Darren Waller has shown more than just glimpses of explosiveness and elite-level upside. Waller was dominant for stretches with his former team, and more specifically, those stretches came when he was healthy.
Waller took a major step forward in 2019, catching 90 passes for 1,145 yards and three touchdowns over 16 games. This breakout came after catching just 18 passes total since entering the league in 2015.
Then in 2020, NFL fans were treated to another full season of a healthy Waller, and he proceeded to haul in 107 passes for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns while making the Pro Bowl.
The Giants would happily take either of those seasons after acquiring Waller via trade in exchange for a third-round pick this offseason.
While injuries have slowed down the hype train for the 30-year-old tight end, there's good news from the early returns in New York. As ESPN’s Jordan Raanan detailed, Waller showcased his ability to be a difference-maker right out of the gate during offseason workouts, citing his size and explosiveness. Most importantly, Ranaan noted the fact that Waller looked healthy.
It took all of one play to see the difference Waller can make for this offense. On the first play of OTAs with the media in attendance, Waller blew by the nickel cornerback and caught a deep ball down the right sideline. It was the first of many plays in which Waller stood out because of his size and explosiveness. Most importantly, he looked healthy after two injury-plagued seasons. That's the key. The Giants acquired Waller for a third-round pick in March. -- Jordan Raanan
Over the past four seasons, there Giants have had a tight end total more than 500 receiving yards in a season—Evan Engram with 654 yards and one touchdown in 2020. They’ve lacked the upside of a player like Waller at the position, and if he remains healthy, it should open up the offense and make life easier for Daniel Jones and company.
