Ted’s Talk: Predicting Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner’s rookie season

The Seattle Seahawks have been anticipated to make the most of their new teaching employees’s school connections sooner or later throughout the NFL Draft. They made good on these expectations at decide No. 118 within the fourth spherical, deciding on tight finish AJ Barner from the College of Michigan. Barner – who performed for brand new particular groups coach Jay Harbaugh for the Wolverines – was primarily used as a blocking TE however may deliver untapped potential within the passing sport.

Athletic Profile/Comps

Relative Athletic Rating (RAS)

Mockdraftable

Lastly, a Seahawks draft decide that isn’t undersized! Nicely, apart from beginning the run on small fingers…

Barner’s RAS is just a little unusual as a result of exterior of his top and 3-cone, nothing else is within the inexperienced. He additionally isn’t notably quick with a 4.84 second 40. But, each composite class is “good” which leads to an excellent general RAS.

Tyler Eifert is the very best identify on the RAS comp listing however his rating is sort of a bit increased, so I don’t suppose that’s the very best one to take a look at.

Mockdraftable solely makes use of mix values and Barner did the testing at his professional day…making the Mockdraftable considerably much less instructive since they’re primarily based off of much less values.

Nonetheless, the Mockdraftable comp with Drew Pattern isn’t a nasty one if we have a look at RAS.

Pattern is stronger and quicker, however Barner has a greater 3-cone, vertical/broad jumps, and is taller. Pattern can be just like Barner in that he’s actually solely elite in a single space (bench) but is actually “good” at every part to provide him a excessive general RAS.

Only for enjoyable, let’s have a look at a number of the more moderen Seahawks tight ends and see how Barner stacks up.

As you possibly can see, Barner is definitely extra athletic than their previous draft picks at across the identical measurement. He was additionally taken in principally the identical vary as each Dissly and Parkinson have been fellow fourth-round picks whereas Vannett was a third-rounder.

I nonetheless wasn’t actually happy with these comps so I spent far more time than I’d prefer to admit flipping by way of my psychological Rolodex of tight ends to attempt to discover one which was nearer, not less than athletically. Lastly, I discovered one with Anthony Fasano.

Once more, it’s not good however not less than offers us the extent of athlete we’re taking a look at with Barner. Fasano performed 12 years within the NFL and had 36 profession TDs. He solely eclipsed 350 receiving yards in a season 3 occasions, maxing out at 528 yards. Fasano was a dependable security blanket, although, and I’d undoubtedly take that for Barner’s profession.

Intestine response to the decide

As quickly as I noticed the decide, I believed “is sensible.”

Like Seattle’s different fourth-round decide, Tyrice Knight, some thought this was a spherical too early for Barner. There was just a little run on TEs within the fourth spherical with Ja’Tavion Sanders (No. 101), Theo Johnson (No. 107), and Erick All (No. 115) getting drafted previous to Seattle making a decide – do not forget that they initially had decide No. 102 however traded down.

Possibly the Seahawks favored these different TEs as properly and felt that they needed to decide Barner to keep away from a shelf on the place. As was the case with Knight, nonetheless, it could be that this was a participant Seattle was concentrating on with different TEs out there on the time that have been increased on consensus boards akin to Cade Stover and Jared Wiley who each went later within the fourth spherical. That’s a cluster of six complete TEs drafted within the fourth spherical, in case you’re counting…so perhaps Seattle didn’t attain in spite of everything?

The Seahawks had a gap on the TE place after dropping Will Dissly (Los Angeles Chargers) and Colby Parkinson (Los Angeles Rams) to free company within the offseason and including Pharaoh Brown on a one-year deal. Barner supplies depth and can most likely assume the blocking TE position that Dissly held by the 2025 season on the newest.

Barner’s calling card can be his potential to dam, however that may additionally make him a sneaky addition to the cross sport.

Performs like these may make him a QB’s finest pal if the first reads are coated. All in all, he’s seemingly the Dissly substitute on a rookie contract. That’s a nice use of a fourth-round decide.

Rookie season prediction

I’m not anticipating Barner to have a big position within the offense as a rookie until Noah Fant or Pharaoh Brown are injured. Fant is the very best pass-catching TE and Brown the very best (for now) run-blocking possibility. Even UDFA Jack Westover – if he makes the group – is doubtlessly a greater choice to catch passes.

Since Brown is simply on a one-year contract, nonetheless, it is going to be necessary to get Barner significant snaps in run-heavy units to groom him to take over that position subsequent season. Barner was by no means an enormous producer in school with 610 yards and 5 TDs complete in his 4-year school profession. He’ll have few alternatives in his rookie season and can reel in 12 catches for 125 yards and 1 sneaky TD. Extra importantly, Barner can be a mainstay on particular groups items and develop into a trusted a part of Jay Harbaugh’s items.