In the span of a year, Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker has gone from one of the most dependable receiving options in football to a relative afterthought… at least if you ask him.
Delanie Walker feels that his body of work is being undervalued by the people creating fantasy football rankings and other metrics to rate players, and he spoke with reporters about feeling slighted after Tennessee's preseason game against the New England Patriots on Saturday:
Walker told the media:
“They got guys ranked over me that have never played a snap in the NFL. I've been doing this for 14 years… This disrespect fuels me… I'm gonna show everybody this year.”
Part of the reason for Walker's fall in positional rankings likely stems from the ACL injury that he sustained in Week 1 of last year, which forced him to miss the rest of the 2018 season.
Prior to the injury, Delanie Walker was unquestionably one of the best tight ends. He made the Pro Bowl in three consecutive seasons form 2015 to 2017, and topped the 1,000-yard receiving mark in 2015, finishing second only to Greg Olsen for most receiving yards by a tight end. Walker also ranked ninth in the NFL with 94 receptions that season.
Walker is in the final year of a two-year, $17 million extension that he signed in July of 2018, and he will certainly be looking to fuel a Titans offense that was downright anemic last season. Without Walker on the field, Tennessee ranked 25th in the NFL in yards per game and 27th in points per game. They also ranked 30th in total receiving yards.
Needless to say, Walker has a lot to prove in 2019.
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