Las Vegas Raiders: Darren Waller
Stolen player last year: Henry Ruggs III
We are doubling down on the tight end position with the first two teams on this list and are going with Darren Waller. Just like Kelce, Waller would be a huge improvement over Jared Cook and would give the Chargers three elite targets for Justin Herbert to throw the ball to.
Kelce is the better tight end and is more established but Waller is well on his way to reaching that same level if he hasn’t already. Waller has finished each of the last two seasons with over 1,100 receiving yards, catching nine touchdown passes in 2020.
Waller, alongside George Kittle, represents the future of the tight end position. He is not only one of the best tight ends in the league but he is also one of the very few (if not the only) players on the Las Vegas Raiders who is a legitimate upgrade over anyone the LA Chargers have.
Last year we went with Henry Ruggs, who was not as good in his rookie season as expected. Ruggs did have the big catch against the New York Jets on the now-infamous Cover 0 play (they still didn’t get Trevor Lawrence) but he was not the consistent deep threat that the Raiders were hoping for.
Part of that is injuries and part of that is simply the learning curve that happens to rookies in the NFL. He should still be a fine receiver but after 2020 it is clear that Waller is more than a one-year breakout and is the real deal. Plus, last year the Chargers had Hunter Henry, which makes it easier to pick Ruggs.