3 Reasons Broncos' TE Noah Fant is Poised for a Massive Season
The Denver Broncos have a solid nucleus of young players poised to break out in 2021. Many analysts have opined that second-year wideout Jerry Jeudy and third-year defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones are the most likely to have big seasons.
Those two players deserve to have that buzz, but the big money should be bet on third-year tight end Noah Fant. Stars like Von Miller are buzzing about Fant heading into 2021.
What has Fant done to engender such excitement within the walls of UCHealth Training Center? There are three reasons why he is going to vault into the top tier of tight ends.
Consistency is Key
Fant knows what needs to happen. This offseason he has talked about being more consistent.
“Consistency. I think that's the biggest thing," Fant said earlier this week. "I saw that last year, also. Like you said, if I can play that consistent and get those catches, make those blocks [and do] all that consistently throughout the season and do that all year long and be at my highest level of play, the sky is the limit. Consistency is a big word I've been focusing on this year."
Fant knows talking about it isn’t enough. In the season-opener last year, his five catches for 81 yards and a touchdown all came in the first half. In another solid performance against the Buffalo Bills late in the season, all but 15 of his 68 yards on eight receptions and a touchdown were produced in the first half.
Fant recognizes that his performance must be consistent throughout the whole game and that is a great attitude to cultivate. He could have blamed the game plan or quarterback, but he didn’t and that shows he has the right mental make-up to do what he has set out to this season.
Having a season under his belt in the same offense under Pat Shurmur will also help with consistency as will more time working with Drew Lock in training camp and preseason. This was a key element missing in 2020.
More Targets
It seems inevitable that he is going to get more targets. The Broncos' front office and coaches seemed content to enter the season with Fant as the only sure-fire tight end on the roster. Albert Okwuegbunam has potential, but he is returning from an ACL tear and it will likely take time to get back to his former self.
The other tight ends on the roster are decent depth, but none have the ability to steal many targets from Fant. Furthermore, Fant received significantly more targets from Year 1 to Year 2: 66 to 93.
The NFL's elite tight ends last season were targeted well over 100 times and if Fant can get similar attention in the Broncos' offense, his numbers will increase dramatically. Even though Denver boasts a solid wide receiver group that will garner the bulk of attention in the offense, the tight end position doesn’t have that type of competition.
Unless Coach Shurmur decides to completely abandon the tight end, Fant will get a lion's share of targets. With the additional game this season, it's not a stretch to think he will get 125 passes thrown his way.
Staying Healthy
When Fant reported to camp this offseason, he looked to be in great shape. From the naked eye, he appeared to have added at least ten pounds of muscle to an already solid 6-foot-3 frame.
"Noah Fant is my favorite guy on the team," Miller said on Monday. "I want to tell all you guys that. Noah Fant, I’m super excited about this guy. He’s buff, he’s strong. I think he’s going into Year 3 now and he just looks like a beast. I was excited when we picked Noah, and you can kind of see everything coming together for Noah."
Being ready for the physical toll of the NFL season will go a long way to staying on the field for a full slate of 17 games. It's also a sign of his dedication to getting better and staying on the field for the grueling upcoming season.
When Fant was drafted by the Broncos, it was easy to see his potential and ability to create mismatches. He has the size and speed to wreak havoc on both linebackers and defensive backs.
Fant will be more comfortable in the system and with the quarterback. It would not be a surprise to see Fant end the season with a stat line that looks like this: 85 receptions for 1,020 yards and seven touchdowns. .
Such a body of work would vault him into elite territory.
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