AJBarner

News: 3 days agoBarner sits atop a Seahawks tight end depth chart that's unchanged from last season heading into the 2026 regular season, John Boyle of the team's official site reports.

Spin: The Seahawks won the Super Bowl last season with a tight end room consisting of Barner, Eric Saubert, Elijah Arroyo and Nick Kallerup, so it's understandable that the team decided not to rock the boat at the position. Arroyo is Barner's primary competition for pass-catching opportunities, as the 2025 second-round pick enjoyed a productive 2026 preseason after a lackluster rookie regular season in which Arroyo posted just 179 receiving yards. Barner led the position group with 52 catches for 519 yards and six touchdown receptions on 68 targets during the 2025 regular season.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Barner was a solid contributor for the Seattle offense last season. The 2024 fourth-round pick worked his way to the top of the depth chart, and although his overall volume was limited (20th among TEs in targets and yards), he found the end zone seven times and finished 14th in fantasy points (21st in PPG). The 24-year-old is a serviceable, short-range target for Sam Darnold, but even with some rushing worked in, his role in Seattle's low-volume passing offense won't allow much upside. In fact, it's possible he loses some targets to second-year TE Elijah Arroyo this season. Barner is a fringe TE2, at best.