Silver Minings: Darren Waller named third best tight end in NFL

Pro Football Focus dropped their top 32 tight end rankings the other day, and Darren Waller came in at No. 3. The No. 1 choice is obvious with Travis Kelce, but after the season Waller had in 2020 for the Raiders, you could make the case he was deserving of the No. 2 ranking.

Here’s what they had to say.

Waller has crept closer to the Kittle-Kelce tier at the top of the position with his play over the last two seasons for the Raiders. He’s earned PFF receiving grades of at least 85.0 in each of the past two years, falling behind only Kelce in receiving grade during the 2020 season (90.9).

While some tight ends need to be schemed production, Waller is fully capable of lining up out wide and beating cornerbacks as a receiver. His 2.3 yards per route run when lined up outside in 2020 were more than any other tight end with at least 75 such routes, including Kelce.

These are just rankings, so no need to get upset with the ranking. No. 3 is a hell of a spot to be in, especially considering Waller’s situation from a couple of years ago. He still has some big seasons left in him, and there’s a solid chance a year from now he can be No. 1 on that list.

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