10 most underrated NFL players going into 2020

9. Darren Waller

Waller exploded onto the NFL landscape in 2019 by posting a 90 catch season. That blew away anything he’d done previously in his professional career. He deserves a lot of credit for seizing the starting job and capitalizing on his big break.

Critics of Waller’s game will point out that he isn’t much of an in-line blocker. That’s a fair criticism. However, it’s also worth pointing out that plenty of Pro Bowl tight ends don’t contribute much to their team’s ground games.

Instead, Waller functions as more of a jumbo slot receiver in Gruden’s offense. That allows him to use his size and exceptional catch radius to soak up receptions. Waller’s speed also gives him an opportunity to turn short receptions into long gains when defenses try to cover him with linebacker or safeties.

It will be interesting to see how the addition of Henry Ruggs changes Waller’s target share in 2020. On the one hand, it should give him more room to work in the middle of the field. On the other, Ruggs will certainly get his share of looks from Derek Carr. No matter what, Waller has established himself as an above-average receiver at the tight end position. That makes him a valuable player for Las Vegas.