Ted’s Discuss: Predicting Seattle Seahawks tight finish AJ Barner’s rookie season

The Seattle Seahawks had been anticipated to make the most of their new teaching workers’s school connections sooner or later throughout the NFL Draft. They made good on these expectations at choose No. 118 within the fourth spherical, choosing 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 carry untapped potential within the passing recreation.

Athletic Profile/Comps

Relative Athletic Rating (RAS)

Mockdraftable

Lastly, a Seahawks draft choose that isn’t undersized! Effectively, aside from beginning the run on small arms…

Barner’s RAS is a bit unusual as a result of outdoors 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 ends up in an excellent general RAS.

Tyler Eifert is the most effective title on the RAS comp checklist however his rating is kind of a bit larger, so I don’t assume that’s the most effective 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 based mostly 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 basically “good” at all the things to provide him a excessive general RAS.

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

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

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

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

Intestine response to the choose

As quickly as I noticed the choose, I believed “is smart.”

Like Seattle’s different fourth-round choose, Tyrice Knight, some thought this was a spherical too early for Barner. There was a bit 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 choose – do not forget that they initially had choose No. 102 however traded down.

Possibly the Seahawks appreciated these different TEs as nicely and felt that they needed to choose Barner to keep away from a shelf on the place. As was the case with Knight, nevertheless, it might be that this was a participant Seattle was focusing on with different TEs accessible on the time that had been larger on consensus boards corresponding 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, should 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 offers depth and can most likely assume the blocking TE function that Dissly held by the 2025 season on the newest.

Barner’s calling card will probably be his means to dam, however that may additionally make him a sneaky addition to the move recreation.

Performs like these may make him a QB’s greatest pal if the first reads are coated. All in all, he’s probably the Dissly substitute on a rookie contract. That’s a high-quality use of a fourth-round choose.

Rookie season prediction

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

Since Brown is simply on a one-year contract, nevertheless, it is going to be vital to get Barner significant snaps in run-heavy units to groom him to take over that function subsequent season. Barner was by no means a giant 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 will probably be a mainstay on particular groups models and develop into a trusted a part of Jay Harbaugh’s models.