Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: TE Noah Fant - Contract Year Breakout?

Coming to the Pacific Northwest as part of the Russell Wilson trade, Noah Fant will be aiming to improve upon modest receiving numbers in his first year with the Seattle Seahawks as he approaches free agency for the first time.

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jul 15, 2023 11:47 AM EDT

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason activities in the rearview mirror, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC later this month, officially ushering in the 2023 season.

To celebrate the new incoming season, we'll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2023 campaign.

Noah Fant, Tight End

Height/Weight: 6-4, 249 pounds

2022 Stats: 50 receptions, 486 yards, four touchdowns

One of the top prospects in his class coming out of Iowa, the Broncos invested a top-20 pick in Fant in the 2019 NFL Draft, hoping he would emerge as an elite receiving threat at the position. Though his numbers never quite reached the heights the organization hoped, in part due to inconsistent play at quarterback throughout his tenure in the Mile High City, he averaged 56 receptions and 635 receiving yards per year in three seasons with the team before being dealt to the Seahawks as part of the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade in March 2022.

Statistically, Fant had a "down" first year in Seattle, posting a career-low 486 receiving yards to go with 50 receptions and 9.7 yards per catch. However, he caught a career-best 79.4 percent of his targets, tied his personal best with four touchdowns, and most notably, he made major strides as a blocker, an area of his game that had been viewed as a major weakness dating back to his time at Iowa. He also created 237 yards after the catch, third-most on the team, flashing his playmaking skills in spurts. The franchise picked up his fifth-year option last May, ensuring he'd be with the team for a second season.

Best-Case Scenario: Even with a relatively low number of targets in a star-studded offense, Fant eclipses 600 receiving yards and sets a career-high averaging 15 yards per reception while scoring six touchdowns, bolstering his value heading towards free agency after demonstrating his field-stretching capabilities catching passes from Geno Smith.

Worst-Case Scenario: With few opportunities to make plays with the football in his hands and regression in the blocking department evident, Fant starts to lose out on snaps to upstart fourth-year tight end Colby Parkinson as the season progresses, putting his future with the Seahawks in doubt and creating questions about his value in free agency.

What to Expect in 2023: In some ways, Fant's first year with the Seahawks could be viewed as a mild disappointment, as he was expected to be a major cog in the team's passing game. But in his defense, he was quite efficient with his opportunities and after only have 27 receiving yards in the first four games, he ranked third on the team behind Lockett and Metcalf with 338 yards for the remainder of the season and averaged a healthy 11.7 yards per catch during that span.

Looking at those disparities, it's clear offensive coordinator Shane Waldron figured out how to better utilize Fant's skill set and Smith started to look for him more often as they developed chemistry. This could be a sign of better days ahead for the athletic tight end, who will be plenty motivated with money on the line heading towards free agency, but the presence of Metcalf, Lockett, and incoming rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba could put a cap on his ceiling in terms of production with only so many targets left to go around to tight ends. Nonetheless, as long as he continues to be competent as a blocker, he should be a key contributor for a high-flying offensive attack.

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