Darren Waller is the starting tight end for the New York Giants and the great-grandson of jazz pianist Fats Waller. He grew up playing wide receiver at North Cobb High School, and committed to Georgia Tech as a three-star recruit. In his junior season as a Yellow Jacket, he earned a starting role. In 10 games, he brought down 26 receptions for 442 yards and six touchdowns. Waller had middling production over his college career, but finished his career averaging 19 yards per reception. He opted out of his senior season and entered the 2015 NFL draft.
Darren Waller’s athleticism shone during the combine. He ran a 4.46 second 40-time, which was best-in-class size-adjusted speed when considering his 6-6 and 255-pound frame. Normally, his athleticism would have garnered high draft capital, but Waller’s off the field issues and three suspensions at Georgia Tech caused him to slip to the end of the 6th round, where was selected by the Ravens. Three weeks into his rookie season, Waller was placed on injured reserve - out for the season with a hamstring strain. In July of 2016, he was suspended four games by the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He did not play much when he returned, earning just a 5.2-percent Target Share. The following offseason, he was suspended for one year for violating the substance abuse policy. After courageously overcoming his battle with substance abuse, he was reinstated to the NFL. The Ravens released him and re-signed him to the practice squad.
On November 26, 2018, the Raiders again signed Waller off the Raven’s practice squad. In three games, he earned a 21.5-percent Snap Share. During the 2019 offseason, the Raiders were featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks, where he told the world his story. Waller began to receive buzz while lighting up training camp. He would go on to earn a 25.5-percent Air Yards Share and 1,146 receiving yards in a monstrous campaign across the board. He followed the 2019 season with even more impressive next gen stats, earning a 90.6-percent Snap Share and leading the league in receptions, yards after catch, and deep balls. He finished the season with a TE2 fantasy ranking.
2021 was a disappointment for fans and fantasy managers, as Waller dealt with health issues all season. Yet still, he dominated targets when he was on the field, with an alpha-level 24.2-percent Target Share. At his age and with a significant injury history, one has to wonder how many elite seasons Waller has left.
