Heaps: Seahawks TE Noah Fant most intriguing player after minicamp

There are a lot of new players moving into key roles for the Seattle Seahawks in 2022, whether it’s draft picks, additions through free agency, or pieces from their haul from the Denver Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade.

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One of the players from that latter option is currently jumping out to Seattle Sports’ Jake Heaps after the Seahawks’ first few rounds of OTAs and last week’s minicamp.

“The name that kept popping up throughout this time was a tight end newly acquired from the Denver Broncos, Noah Fant,” Heaps said on Monday’s edition of Jake and Stacy.

A big reason for that is because head coach Pete Carroll raved about Fant when he spoke to reporters last Thursday following the conclusion of the three-day minicamp at Seahawks headquarters in Renton.

“Noah probably had maybe one of the most spectacular camps of anybody,” Carroll said. “I just thought he made plays throughout the whole time – down the field, short-area stuff, understanding the scheme. All of it, he just adapted so beautifully.”

Carroll didn’t have preconceived notions, either, adding that prior to the trade, his interactions with Fant were limited to when was a draft prospect in 2019 (the Broncos took him 20th overall in the first round out of Iowa),

“I didn’t know him other than through the draft process, but he handled himself just impeccably.”

Fant, 24, has been a solid contributor in his three NFL seasons. He had 670 yards and four touchdowns on 90 targets last season, which was almost a carbon copy of his output in 2020 (62 receptions, 93 targets, 673 yards, three touchdowns). He wasn’t far off in his rookie year, either (40 receptions, 66 targets, 562 yards, three touchdowns). It’s believed he’ll play a big role in offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s offense, too, which is expected to feature tight ends more in Seattle’s passing game than in previous years.

Heaps said he has his eyes on Fant because of Carroll’s comments as well as Fant’s combination of size (6-foot-4, 249 pounds) and speed.

“This is somebody to me that brings a lot of intrigue because Noah Fant isn’t just your typical tight end,” he said. “He is somebody that can be very, very dynamic with the ball in his hands. He can be very dynamic down the field with his size and his speed. I believe that if they can tap into that, they have the ability to be able to find a legitimate third receiving option behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

“I do believe that the Seahawks can get a lot of production out of a 6-4, 250-pound tight end who can run a 4.5 (second 40-yard dash). So this is somebody that brings size, that brings speed, and I think that when you’re talking about his ability over the middle of the field, I’m gonna be very intrigued to see how (quarterbacks) Drew Lock, Geno Smith and this offense try to utilize his skillset because he is he is a guy that can really really help a ball club move the chains.”

You can hear that and more of Heaps’ Seahawks insight in the Four-Down Territory segment of Jake and Stacy in the podcast at this link or in the player below.

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