There had been plenty of speculation regarding the state of the Oakland Raiders passing attack following the departure of wide receiver Antonio Brown. Fortunately, tight end Darren Waller was able to help fill the void in the 2019 NFL season opener versus the Denver Broncos.

Waller quickly established himself as a safety net for quarterback Derek Carr early on. According to Scott Bair of NBC Sports, has happy to take advantage of the opportunities Carr provided him:

“It felt good to contribute,” Waller said. “Once [Derek Carr] knows who he has on the field, he was like, ‘I’m coming to you, so win every route.’ So I’m trying to win every route. I am expecting the ball to be there and if it is not there, that’s fine and if it is there, I’m trying to make something happen.”

Waller added that it was as comfortable as he has felt throughout his career.

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“I felt a calm that I have really never had before in football,” Waller said. “Usually there is anxiety, but today it was like OK, I know that I belong. I know that I could make something happen.”

Waller's comments are certainly telling of just how much of an impact one strong performance can have. He had initially been selected in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately, his career was derailed after he violated the league's substance-abuse policy multiple times and was ultimately relegated to the practice squad.

The Raiders signed Waller off the Ravens' practice squad last offseason and he finished the 2018 campaign with a mere six receptions for 75 yards. He managed to eclipse that total in Week 1 with seven receptions for 70 yards. The 26-year-old now finally appears to be primed for an integral role on offense this season.

His rare blend of size and speed make him a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses and a large target for Carr to look for in the passing game.