Every now and then, we will be featuring a post that we find on our message boards. This one is a good one from alienstar, who had heard stories about 6th round rookie receiver, Darren Waller, from a GT sports fanatic when he was in Atlanta recently. He did some of his own investigating to finish a great post about the Ravens’ receiver, who now towers above everyone at 6’6 5/8.
Discuss on our message board. ~Tyler Lombardi
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What makes you think Darren Waller has a chance to be a special player in this league? The potential mismatches that are created when you are 7 inches taller and 40 pounds heavier than the DB that is covering you? The fact that you can probably outrun the same guy to the end zone? Or is it that with size 17 shoes, anyone’s butt is liable to be kicked?
What about this; safety is your natural position and you’ve only been working on being a Wide Receiver full-time for a few years now. Yet, in your last on field showing, you just burnt two major football programs for 187 yards and 10 catches, all the while snagging 2 touchdowns in the Orange Bowl.
You’re making your QB look good, as your offense is not known for throwing the ball. You practiced like a beast for the East-West Shrine game, and 22 teams wanted to talk to you. You tweaked your ankle in the game and had to leave, but not before making a slick over-the-shoulder catch for a TD on a perfectly run corner route.
The key word here is ‘upside’, which is an adjective that you might pick up when you have done what I have described without the benefit of much time at the position, with a team that does not emphasize a passing game. All this, and your rare special God-given physical attributes flat-out dwarf some of the best athletes that we have seen in the past few years.
Despite those who might question it because of your suspensions while at Georgia Tech, you are both a high character guy and one with high football IQ. Some around the GT scene thought that plus your combine showing might get you drafted in the 3rd or 4th round.
You end up being a 6th round draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens.
Meanwhile, another guy, who was picked in the 2012 draft six spots before where you were in the 2015 draft by the same team as you, with similar speed and height (but about 30 lbs lighter) is burning through his practice squad eligibility. He is hanging on for what is likely his last NFL season. He appears to be serving as just a camp body with the Dolphins in a crowded WR field.
Clues as to the biggest difference between Waller and one Tommy Streeter can be found between the ears. Perhaps, it is concentration. Maybe he should have stayed with the Canes through his senior year. Whatever the case, Streeter has been playing offense and WR since before high school, but he doesn’t seem to excel at special teams like other wide receivers.
On the other hand, Waller was a Ramblin’ Wreck special teams demon and reportedly loved it.
I was recently down in Atlanta and had some discussion with a Georgia Tech alumnus and GT sports fanatic. A subscriber to all media that is GT sports and proud ticket holder for GT football and basketball games, he was an avid Yellow Jackets follower and knew quite a bit. Here is what I found out from him, plus I did some investigating myself.
What we are going to focus on here is the question of how such a promising WR winds up at a triple option program, about as far from a pro-style offense that you can get.
Waller was actually recruited by GT as a safety. Earlier on he was shorter and smaller, and ran blazing 4.3 40-yard dash times. Given that he ran 4.46 at the combine, I suppose you can hold onto a lot of your speed even if you grow considerably. And grow he did. A torrential growth spurt has got him to the 6’6 5/8 that he now stands.
There is your answer as to why a supposed WR of his measurables went to a run-happy GT team – he was supposed to play safety, at a height that made sense for a defensive back.
This spurt reportedly started in his Junior year of high school and continued into his college years. Apparently, he often would carry more than his combine weight as well, not by a whole lot but getting close to 245. The man just looked ‘supersized’ compared to other players (as you can see in the title image).
With calves twice the size of other receivers on the field, he still manages to have a sleek-looking build. Fortunately, he did not have one of those gangly growth spurts that young people sometimes experience; he has enough muscle to support his very large frame.
As Waller grew taller, the GT staff had to retool a position on the field for him. They leaned toward the TE spot. More than a few teams at the East-West Shrine game workouts asked him whether he would be willing to play TE as well. To which, of course, he responded that he’d do whatever is asked.
But the TE would be a waste considering his mismatch potential against CBs. You also might not be able to utilize his speed as effectively there. With all of the TEs the Ravens have, that shouldn’t happen here, either.
Waller is a runner whose long strides eat up a lot of ground. Perhaps that is partially the reason that his DB career came to an end, as that type of speed doesn’t translate well to defensive backs. One thing is certain, though: Waller does have speed. A 4.46 40-yard dash is good for most anyone and insane for a 6’6 5/8 240+ person. Waller’s other drill times showed more agility and start-stop quickness than most players his size should possess.
Granted, part of the reality is that he is still quite raw at the WR position, but the upside is tremendous. And the ‘raw’ part resulted from changing his career, so to speak, midway through his development. He’s not raw due to poor work ethic or lack of talent.
Much of his previous skill set revolved around defending the very role he is now taking up. Hopefully that will expedite his evolution as a receiver. Not only was he looking at having to play offense, but with maybe with one of the worst fits in terms of offensive schemes and the scheme’s ability to develop and showcase his talents. He adapted though, and by the end of his senior campaign was looking pretty beastly against top programs, in bowl and showcase games no less (see paragraph below).
After learning all of this, I now tend to look at this similar to a fine Thoroughbred that was held back due to unforeseen developmental issues. He had to wait for a bit before unleashing all that talent in stakes competition.
Waller could have disappeared in college over a change to the other side of the football. Yet, he did not, and did enough in games and working out and playing in the East-West Shrine game to get a combine invite and then drafted.
He could be coming into his own as a wide-out just at the right time.
Discuss with the writer on our message boards.
Written by alienstar
