Darren Waller exploded out of obscurity last year to become the Las Vegas Raiders' leading receiver and one of the top play-making tight ends in the league.
After an offseason in which the Raiders put effort into beefing up a receiving corps that lacked production last season, he thinks the Raiders can take a big jump as an offense this upcoming season.
On SiriusXM NFL Radio, Waller said: "If you look at things across the board, starting with the offensive line and the quarterback, with improvement at the receiver positions and the tight ends trying to be consistent, I think our offense has a chance to do a lot of great things and put up a lot of great numbers. The big thing for us is finishing in the red zone this year. I know that we're doing everything in our power to improve upon that. I don't feel like having a top-five offense is out of the picture."
The comments by Waller about the Raiders' struggles in the red zone were well-documented last season. The Raiders finished 11th overall in yards per game (363.7). Well-supported by a ground game led by rookie sensation Josh Jacobs (115 rushing yards per game), the Raiders finished only 22nd in red-zone percentage, which played a significant role in the Raiders having a lackluster scoring average of 19.6 points per game, which ranked 24th in the league.
General Manager Mike Mayock knew he had to improve heading into the offseason. That is why the Raiders prioritized the wide receiver position in the draft, taking explosive Henry Ruggs III of Alabama with the 12th overall pick and later drafting runner/receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. of Kentucky and Bryan Edwards of South Carolina. The three combined with Waller and Jacobs should give quarterback Derek Carr as full of a complement of weapons as he's had in his career.
"We have so much talent," Waller said. "We have guys who are buying in. We have a balanced system. I have high expectations, and I think everyone on the offense would say the same thing."
https://www.si.com/nfl/raiders/news/darren-waller-las-vegas-raiders-offense-nfl-derek-carr