Seahawks Preview: What will new-look TE group provide?

Aug 31, 2024, 9:18 AM | Updated: Sep 7, 2024, 4:27 pm

Noah Fant of the Seattle Seahawks during a 2023 game. (Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)

(Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

Every day between now and the Sept. 8 season opener, we at Seattle Sports are previewing each of the Seattle Seahawks’ 11 position groups. Today, we take a look at tight end.

The 3 things from Seattle Seahawks GM Schneider that jump out

Links to our other position group previews will be included here as they are posted: Quarterback, running back, wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, outside linebacker, inside linebacker, cornerback, safety and special teams.

Roster breakdown

Projected starter: Noah Fant

Projected backups: Pharaoh Brown, AJ Barner, Brady Russell

Offseason summary

Who’s out: Will Dissly signed a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency. Colby Parkinson signed a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams in free agency.

Who’s in: The Seahawks signed Brown to a one-year deal in free agency. Seattle selected Barner in the fourth round with the 121st pick of the NFL Draft.

2024 outlook

Seattle’s tight end room has a new look this season. Fant, in his third year with the Seahawks, is the only returner who played a significant role on offense last season. Under former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, the Seahawks often ran two tight end sets with the formidable trio of Fant, Parkinson and Dissly at their disposal. All three were in on at least 39% of the team’s offensive snaps last season. With new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s high-flying offensive system, that could change, as the Seahawks may look to get their talented trio of wide receivers – DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba – on the field together more often.

It will be interesting to see if Grubb can get more out of Fant as a receiver. The sixth-year tight end has all the tools to be a game-changing threat in the passing game and showed as much while ranking third among tight ends with 12.9 yards per catch last season, but he’s never quite reached his full potential. Rookie AJ Barner will be another intriguing name to watch. He was viewed as more of a blocking tight end coming out of Michigan, but his 6-foot-6 frame could be a difference-maker in the red zone at the very least. He could also challenge Fant and Brown, who’s strength comes as a blocker, for snaps if he shows ability as an all-around threat.

Russell could also factor in, especially early on with Fant and Brown banged up and Barner still adjusting to the NFL. He was a bright spot in the preseason and an important contributor on special teams.

Noah Fant | 6-4, 249 | Age: 26 | 6th year

2023 stats: 32 catches, 414 yards, 0 TD (17 games)

Fant’s overall numbers in Seattle aren’t overwhelming. He’s been below 500 receiving yards in both campaigns and failed to catch a touchdown pass last season. That comes after he put together back-to-back years of at least 650 receiving yards before leaving Denver. However, that is likely more of a result of a deeper group of tight ends in Seattle leading to a greatly reduced snap count than it is a decline in his ability. Fant played 84% of the offensive snaps in his final season with the Broncos and 60% and 55%, respectively, in his first two seasons in the Pacific Northwest. Through five pro seasons, the Iowa product has amassed 2,805 yards and 14 touchdowns on 355 receptions. The Seahawks brought Fant back on a two-year, $21 million contract in the offseason.

𝙁𝘼𝙉𝙏ASTIC. pic.twitter.com/tBRr08BML2

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) February 20, 2024

Pharaoh Brown | 6-5, 246 | Age: 30 | 7th year

2023 stats: 13 catches, 208 yards, 1 TD (17 games)

Brown is set to play for his fifth team in seven seasons after signing a one-year deal with the Seahawks in the offseason. The 6-foot-5, 246-pound Oregon product set a career-high with 208 receiving yards (thanks in large part to a 58-yard TD catch) last season for the Patriots. Brown has totaled just 64 receptions for 686 yards and three touchdowns over 72 career games, and he had just 15 targets last season. His biggest contributions will likely come at the line of scrimmage as a blocker.

AJ Barner | 6-6, 251 | Age: 22 | 1st year

2023 college stats: 22 catches, 249 yards, 1 TD (15 games)

Barner became the latest tight end to be drafted in the fourth round by the Seahawks, who took Parkinson in the fourth round in 2020 and Dissly in the fourth round in 2018. The rookie was known more for his blocking at Michigan, where he hauled in 22 receptions for 249 yards and one touchdown while helping the Wolverines win the national title in his only season on campus. Barner spent his three previous college seasons at Indiana. In 45 total games over his four college campaigns, the Aurora, Ohio, native, amassed 64 receptions for 610 yards and five TDs.

Brady Russell | 6-3, 250 | Age: 26 | 2nd year

2023 stats: No offensive stats; 7 tackles (15 games)

Russell had a strong preseason and returns to the Seahawks after playing 312 snaps on special teams in 2023, which trailed only Pro Bowler and special-teams ace Nick Bellore. The Colorado product logged just 16 offensive snaps last season, but he has the chance to carve out a bigger role in a new-look tight end room this year.