There is a lot of unknowns in the wide receiver room for the Raiders. The team is hoping that second-year wide receivers Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards can make a leap this season. They also signed veterans John Brown and Willie Snead to round out the depth chart.
But one of the reasons why their lack of proven talent at wide receiver isn’t a big deal is due to their tight end room. Darren Waller made the first Pro Bowl of his career in 2020 and Foster Moreau has proven to be one of the best backup tight ends in the league.
In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they ranked all-32 receiving corps in the NFL heading into the 2021 season. According to the site, the Raiders are at a big advantage compared to the rest of the league due to their potent 1-2 punch at tight end. Here is a snippet of their thoughts on the duo heading into the season:
“The Raiders have one of the few mismatch tight ends in the league in Darren Waller, who gained 1,196 yards and posted a 90.9 receiving grade last season, both good for second among tight ends. Backup Foster Moreau has been extremely productive in his two seasons, catching 28 of his 33 targets for 314 yards and seven touchdowns.
Las Vegas has one of the league’s best at tight end, but they need better production from their top two receiving options if they’re going to jump into the top half of the league’s pass-catchers.”
After back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons, we know what type of player Waller is at this stage of his career. The bigger question mark is Moreau, who is now a year removed from his knee injury. He is one of the better blocking tight ends in the league, but can the Raiders find him more targets in the passing game?
However the Raiders decide to divide up the targets this year, look for Waller and Moreau to continue to be a big part of the offense’s success. They are the best tight-end duo in the NFL as they each complement the other so well. Together, they should combine for over 1,500 yards and double-digit touchdowns for Las Vegas.