No Seattle Seahawks found on NFL execs’ tight end rankings

This offseason, Seattle Seahawks’ general manager John Schneider overhauled the team’s offense via trades, free agency, and the NFL draft. Quarterback Geno Smith and wide receiver DK Metcalf were both traded, while veteran wideout Tyler Lockett was released. Schneider signed quarterback Sam Darnold, and wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

The Seahawks selected 11 players in April’s draft, nine of them dedicated to the offensive side of the ball. One of the most intriguing additions was second-round tight end Elijah Arroyo from the University of Miami. Injuries were a factor early in his career with the Hurricanes, but in 2024 he totaled 35 catches for 590 yards (16.9 average) and seven touchdowns.

ESPN continues to reveal its 2025 NFL player rankings by position. League executives, coaches, and scouts are the participants, and the latest edition features the tight ends. Via Jeremy Fowler, there are the Top 10 performers, seven players getting honorable mention acclaim, and five more tight ends receiving at least one vote.

If you are a follower of the Seattle Seahawks, you won’t find Arroyo (understandably so), veteran Noah Fant, 2024 fourth-round pick A.J. Barner or the other three tight ends currently on the Seahawks’ roster.

For whatever reason, Fant has been a far less productive player since joining the Seahawks in 2022 as part of the Russell Wilson deal that sent the veteran quarterback to the Denver Broncos. In three seasons in the Pacific Northwest, the 2019 first-round draft choice has played in 48 regular-season games and caught 130 passes for 1,400 yards and only five touchdowns. In his three years with the Broncos (47 games), Fant totaled 170 receptions for 1,905 yards and 10 TDs.

Production from Seattle’s tight ends could go up this season in new coordinator Klint Kubiak’s offense. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding Arroyo, while four of Barner’s 30 catches this past season resulted in touchdowns. On the other hand, Fant bears watching, considering he’s scored just one TD the past two seasons combined. All told, it wasn’t real that much of a shock not to see a Seahawks’ tight end mentioned in the survey.

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