Early reports have been favorable on new Giants tight end Darren Waller. The latest, from The Athletic, says it would be shocking if Waller doesn't lead the team in targets this year, which is also a statement about the team's iffy looking wide receiver group. Of course, the report has a caveat: "if healthy."
Waller has missed 6 and 8 games the last two seasons. Prior to last year he'd averaged 5-7 catches per game three years in a row, but last year it dipped to just 3 per game -- 28 catches in 9 contests -- in a disappointing season in Las Vegas. Fair to wonder if that former player is still there.
Waller will turn 31 before the start of the season, and some may discount him on that basis. If he's had trouble staying healthy at 29 and 30, perhaps he won't be any more likely to do so at 31. But it's an age where top tight ends have continued to produce in the past.
Since 2000, there have been 51 top-15 seasons by a tight end aged 31 or older, so about 2 per year. Granted, with Waller -- who's being drafted more in the 7-8 range at the position -- you're hoping for a little more. But 35 of those have been top-10 seasons. A lot have been by all-time greats (Travis Kelce, Tony Gonzalez), but plenty of Waller-level guys have done it too.
Table below shows all the top-15 fantasy seasons (PPR) by tight ends aged 31 or older this century.
| TIGHT ENDS, AGED 31-PLUS, TOP 15 SEASONS (2000-PRESENT) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Age | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | PPR | Rk |
| 2022 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 33 | 152 | 110 | 1338 | 12.2 | 12 | 318.3 | 1 |
| 2021 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 32 | 134 | 92 | 1125 | 12.2 | 10 | 264.8 | 2 |
| 2021 | Zach Ertz, 2TM | 31 | 112 | 74 | 763 | 10.3 | 5 | 180.7 | 5 |
| 2021 | Rob Gronkowski, T.B. | 32 | 89 | 55 | 802 | 14.6 | 6 | 171.2 | 7 |
| 2020 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 31 | 145 | 105 | 1416 | 13.5 | 11 | 314.8 | 1 |
| 2020 | Rob Gronkowski, T.B. | 31 | 77 | 45 | 623 | 13.8 | 7 | 149.3 | 9 |
| 2020 | Jimmy Graham, Chi. | 34 | 76 | 50 | 456 | 9.1 | 8 | 143.6 | 14 |
| 2019 | Jared Cook, N.O. | 32 | 65 | 43 | 705 | 16.4 | 9 | 167.5 | 7 |
| 2019 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 37 | 83 | 63 | 529 | 8.4 | 4 | 141.9 | 11 |
| 2019 | Greg Olsen, Car. | 34 | 82 | 52 | 597 | 11.5 | 2 | 123.7 | 13 |
| 2018 | Jared Cook, Oak. | 31 | 101 | 68 | 896 | 13.2 | 6 | 193.6 | 5 |
| 2018 | Jimmy Graham, G.B. | 32 | 89 | 55 | 636 | 11.6 | 2 | 130.6 | 12 |
| 2017 | Delanie Walker, Ten. | 33 | 111 | 74 | 807 | 10.9 | 4 | 178.5 | 4 |
| 2017 | Jimmy Graham, Sea. | 31 | 96 | 57 | 520 | 9.1 | 10 | 171.0 | 7 |
| 2017 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 35 | 87 | 63 | 560 | 8.9 | 5 | 149.0 | 9 |
| 2017 | Benjamin Watson, Balt. | 37 | 79 | 61 | 522 | 8.6 | 4 | 137.2 | 11 |
| 2017 | Vernon Davis, Was. | 33 | 69 | 43 | 648 | 15.1 | 3 | 125.8 | 15 |
| 2016 | Greg Olsen, Car. | 31 | 129 | 80 | 1073 | 13.4 | 3 | 207.3 | 3 |
| 2016 | Delanie Walker, Ten. | 32 | 102 | 65 | 800 | 12.3 | 7 | 188.1 | 5 |
| 2016 | Dennis Pitta, Balt. | 31 | 121 | 86 | 729 | 8.5 | 2 | 170.9 | 8 |
| 2016 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 34 | 95 | 69 | 673 | 9.8 | 3 | 154.3 | 11 |
| 2016 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 36 | 93 | 53 | 548 | 10.3 | 7 | 149.8 | 12 |
| 2015 | Delanie Walker, Ten. | 31 | 133 | 94 | 1088 | 11.6 | 6 | 244.4 | 3 |
| 2015 | Benjamin Watson, N.O. | 35 | 110 | 74 | 825 | 11.2 | 6 | 192.5 | 7 |
| 2015 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 33 | 104 | 77 | 713 | 9.3 | 3 | 166.3 | 10 |
| 2015 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 35 | 85 | 56 | 630 | 11.3 | 5 | 149.0 | 12 |
| 2014 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 34 | 98 | 69 | 821 | 11.9 | 12 | 223.1 | 3 |
| 2014 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 32 | 90 | 64 | 703 | 11.0 | 5 | 164.3 | 9 |
| 2014 | Heath Miller, Pitt. | 32 | 91 | 66 | 761 | 11.5 | 3 | 162.1 | 11 |
| 2013 | Tony Gonzalez, Atl. | 37 | 121 | 83 | 859 | 10.4 | 8 | 218.9 | 2 |
| 2013 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 31 | 111 | 73 | 851 | 11.7 | 8 | 206.1 | 6 |
| 2013 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 33 | 114 | 77 | 872 | 11.3 | 4 | 188.2 | 9 |
| 2012 | Tony Gonzalez, Atl. | 36 | 124 | 93 | 930 | 10.0 | 8 | 234.0 | 2 |
| 2012 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 32 | 80 | 49 | 538 | 11.0 | 7 | 144.8 | 13 |
| 2011 | Tony Gonzalez, Atl. | 35 | 116 | 80 | 875 | 10.9 | 7 | 209.5 | 4 |
| 2011 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 31 | 88 | 64 | 778 | 12.2 | 7 | 183.8 | 7 |
| 2010 | Tony Gonzalez, Atl. | 34 | 108 | 70 | 656 | 9.4 | 6 | 171.6 | 6 |
| 2009 | Tony Gonzalez, Atl. | 33 | 134 | 83 | 867 | 10.5 | 6 | 205.7 | 6 |
| 2008 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 32 | 155 | 96 | 1058 | 11.0 | 10 | 261.8 | 1 |
| 2007 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 31 | 153 | 99 | 1172 | 11.8 | 5 | 246.2 | 2 |
| 2005 | Marcus Pollard, Det. | 33 | 79 | 46 | 516 | 11.2 | 3 | 115.6 | 15 |
| 2003 | Shannon Sharpe, Den. | 35 | 94 | 62 | 770 | 12.4 | 8 | 187.0 | 2 |
| 2003 | Marcus Pollard, Ind. | 31 | 57 | 40 | 541 | 13.5 | 3 | 112.1 | 10 |
| 2002 | Shannon Sharpe, Den. | 34 | 88 | 61 | 686 | 11.3 | 3 | 147.6 | 4 |
| 2002 | Chad Lewis, Phil. | 31 | 67 | 42 | 398 | 9.5 | 3 | 103.8 | 12 |
| 2002 | Christian Fauria, N.E. | 31 | 40 | 27 | 253 | 9.4 | 7 | 96.3 | 15 |
| 2001 | Shannon Sharpe, Balt. | 33 | 114 | 73 | 811 | 11.1 | 2 | 166.1 | 3 |
| 2001 | Wesley Walls, Car. | 35 | 73 | 43 | 452 | 10.5 | 5 | 118.2 | 11 |
| 2000 | Shannon Sharpe, Balt. | 32 | 105 | 67 | 810 | 12.1 | 5 | 178.0 | 2 |
| 2000 | Jackie Harris, Dall. | 32 | 56 | 39 | 306 | 7.9 | 5 | 101.6 | 10 |
| 2000 | Wesley Walls, Car. | 34 | 49 | 31 | 422 | 13.6 | 2 | 85.2 | 14 |
So I'm not going to let Waller's age bother me. The recent injury history, though, does a little bit. I suspect he'll be drafted earlier than I would take him in most leagues.
Having already written about my reservations on Kyle Pitts, it's starting to look like either I'll be drafting one of the top 5 tight ends, or waiting and throwing darts at a couple of different guys in the 12-15 range, hoping one pans out. The 6-10 area is probably going to be something I'll avoid in drafts.
--Andy Richardson