AJ Barner

23-Year-Old Tight EndTE
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Barner showed some promise as a goal-line option in his rookie season, as the 2024 fourth-round draft pick finished with seven red-zone targets to Noah Fant’s five. The 6-foot-6 Barner scored four touchdowns, while the 6-4 Fant has just one TD over the last two seasons combined. The Seahawks, though, released Fant in July just before training camp. Barner will compete with rookie Elijah Arroyo, the 50th overall pick, for tight end snaps. Arroyo is a prototypical NFL tight end but has a lengthy history of knee injuries. Barner could find his way to increased targets at some point. Barner’s big frame and 82-inch wingspan are at least useful in short-yardage situations. Read Past Outlooks
Signed a four-year, $4.78 million contract with the Seahawks in May of 2024.
Opportunity awaits
TESeattle Seahawks
July 21, 2025
Barner will compete with rookie Elijah Arroyo for the starting tight end job after the Seahawks released Noah Fant on Sunday, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.
ANALYSIS
The Seahawks selected Arroyo in the second round of April's draft and signed Eric Saubert this offseason, allowing them the flexibility to move on from Fant with one year left on his deal. A 2024 fourth-round pick, Barner started six games as a rookie and finished with 30 receptions for 245 yards and four touchdowns over 17 games. Barner will face stiff competition from Arroyo for the starting job in 2025. Arroyo is likely the better athlete of the two and should eventually command more attention in the passing game, but Barner will look to leverage his experience to hold off the newcomer.
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NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do AJ Barner's 2024 advanced stats compare to other tight ends?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Air Yards Per Game
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Air Yards Per Game
7.0
 
Air Yards Per Snap
0.25
 
% Team Air Yards
3.0%
 
% Team Targets
6.8%
 
Avg Depth of Target
3.1 Yds
 
Catch Rate
78.9%
 
Drop Rate
7.9%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
5.7
 
% Targeted On Route
19.5%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.26
 
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2024 NFL Game Log
2024
2024 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Seattle SeahawksSeahawks 2024 TE Snap Distribution
#% of Team Snaps

53352%
46845%
24424%
40%
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How often does AJ Barner run a route when on the field for a pass play?
This data will let you see how AJ Barner and the other tight ends for the Seahawks are being used. Some tight ends may have a lot of snaps, but they're not that useful for fantasy purposes because they're not actually running routes. This data will help you see when this is the case.
AJ Barner
195 routes   38 targets
← More Blocking
% Routes Run
More Receiving →
42%
141 routes   14 targets
40%
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where AJ Barner lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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2024 AJ Barner Split Stats
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring AJ Barner See More
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring AJ Barner See More
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Barner’s the definition of a project, so he’s unlikely to play a significant role for Seattle in 2024 after being selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. In 40 college games split between Indiana and Michigan, Barner had just 610 yards and five touchdowns. Barner’s 6-foot-6, and his 82-inch wingspan is the largest among tight ends in the 2024 draft class, so he has the tools to develop into a red-zone threat, but he’s far from a burner (4.84-second 40-yard dash). If Barner can excel early as a blocker despite being light for his height (251 pounds), he has a chance to push Pharaoh Brown for the top backup spot behind Noah Fant as a rookie.
More Fantasy News
Finds paydirt four times as rookie
TESeattle Seahawks
January 17, 2025
Barner caught 30 passes (on 38 targets) for 245 yards and four touchdowns across 17 games with the Seahawks in 2024.
ANALYSIS
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Gains 13 yards in win
TESeattle Seahawks
December 9, 2024
Barner caught his lone target for 13 yards in Sunday's 30-18 win over the Cardinals.
ANALYSIS
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Scores in comeback win
TESeattle Seahawks
December 2, 2024
Barner caught two passes (two targets) for 14 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 26-21 win over the Jets.
ANALYSIS
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Three short catches in win
TESeattle Seahawks
November 25, 2024
Barner caught three of four targets for 19 yards in Sunday's 16-6 win over the Cardinals.
ANALYSIS
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Remaining top tight end Sunday
TESeattle Seahawks
November 24, 2024
Barner is slated to remain the top option at tight end for the Seahawks in Sunday's game against the Cardinals with Noah Fant (groin) inactive for the contest.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Larger role with Fant gone?
TESeattle Seahawks
July 20, 2025
Barner could be a more significant piece of Seattle's offense moving forward, as Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the team released Noah Fant on Sunday.
ANALYSIS
Fant had 500 receiving yards to Barner's 245 in 2024, though Barner scored four touchdowns to Fant's one. Barner and rookie second-round pick Elijah Arroyo are expected to compete for the top spot on the tight end depth chart now that Fant's out of the picture. The Seahawks selected Barner in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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