Though the Las Vegas Raiders’ decision to move on from longtime starting quarterback Derek Carr garnered most of the attention this offseason, another big change transpired for the offense. Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller also left Sin City, leaving a massive void behind.
With such a massive change at a critical position, the Raiders have responded with a committee approach.
Raiders starting tight end: Austin Hooper
Less than a week after agreeing to trade Waller to the New York Giants, the Raiders signed Austin Hooper as his replacement. A two-time Pro Bowl tight end, Hooper has plenty to offer, though he lacks the upper-tier production Waller delivered in 2019 and 2020.
But whereas Waller missed considerable time over the past two seasons, Hooper has managed to stay on the field. He played in all but one game during the same stretch, and that absence came from contracting COVID, not a typical football injury.
Should Hooper again play a full season, his recent past suggests he can reliably deliver around 40 catches for 400-plus receiving yards and a few touchdowns. That won’t make him a go-to option for fantasy managers, but he can still make a difference as a bye-week streamer.
Who is Austin Hooper’s backup on the Raiders’ TE depth chart?
Behind Hooper, the Raiders added rookie tight end Michael Mayer. A second-round pick this past April, Mayer arrives in Las Vegas after a decorated career with Notre Dame that saw him earn third-team All-American honors in 2021 and consensus All-American honors this past year.
Given the investment in Mayer, the Raiders must expect him to compete for the starting job early in his career. However, the track record for rookie tight ends suggests that his contributions will look meager in 2023, especially with the offense breaking in new starting signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo.
