ESPN analyst has the Raiders preparing for the inevitable in round three
When the news broke that the Las Vegas Raiders were trading Darren Waller, I think a lot of fans were happy. He was a distraction at times and cost the Raiders a ton of money. And, to make things worse, he wasn't healthy for the last two years. Then they signed Austin Hooper to be […]
When the news broke that the Las Vegas Raiders were trading Darren Waller, I think a lot of fans were happy. He was a distraction at times and cost the Raiders a ton of money. And, to make things worse, he wasn't healthy for the last two years.
Then they signed Austin Hooper to be the guy to replace Waller, and most fans were pretty happy with that. I was not. I think Hooper is a guy that a lot of people are giving more credit to than what he has actually done in his career.
I think the inevitable will happen, and Hooper won't work out. It's not that he will be an off-field distraction like Waller, or get in trouble, or even be injured. He just won't do what the Raiders will need him to do offensively. I think to prepare for that, Las Vegas needs to draft a tight end, and that's what one ESPN analyst has them doing.
Todd McShay's pick: Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State
The Raiders traded away Darren Waller and new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo ranked second in the NFL in yards per attempt on passes to tight ends last season (9.5). Kraft would be a red-zone favorite for Garoppolo in Las Vegas.
– ESPN
Austin Hooper has been a Pro Bowler twice in his career, in 2018 and 2019 when he was with the Atlanta Falcons. Those were the two best seasons of his career, and as a Pro Bowler, he didn't have over 800 receiving yards or seven touchdowns in either season. In fact, he has only had more than 500 receiving yards three times in his seven-year career, all happened in Atlanta.
In the last two years, he has just under 800 receiving yards combined, with over 30 games played in that time. Hooper isn't great, and he can't be what we think he can be. So, it is only right for the Raiders to take a tight end and prepare for the inevitable.
