> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # It’s Time To Recognize Seahawks’ AJ Barner as NFL’s Most Underrated Tight End - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/seattle-seahawks-aj-barner-nfl-most-underrated-tight-end/ - Published: 2025-12-30T18:26:47.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T06:16:36.000Z - Author: Nick Lee - Tags: Analysis, Seahawks, AJ Barner Tight ends have evolved and then evolved again over the last few decades. While you still see players wearing eligible numbers lining up at tight end that look like they are just offensive linemen who went on a diet for a few weeks, that isn’t the norm anymore. Over the last 20 years, players like Antonio Gates, Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, and George Kittle redefined the role, turning tight ends into matchup nightmares and centerpiece weapons. With that evolution came an unintended side effect: if a tight end isn’t posting gaudy receiving numbers, living on highlight reels, or dating international superstars, he’s often overlooked entirely. That’s where Seahawks tight end AJ Barner fits in. Even his draft status suggests a level of overlooking- being selected 121st overall in the 2024 draft. His only crime might be being drafted in the same tight end class as the Raiders’ Brock Bowers, who was just named to his second straight Pro Bowl after being a First Team All-Pro selection as a rookie last year. While Barner didn’t put up nearly 1,200 receiving yards like Bowers did for Las Vegas, he has been extremely valuable and reliable for the Seahawks. It’s possible that even the Seahawks themselves did not initially envision Barner, the seventh tight end drafted that weekend, becoming what he is now: their best tight end and one of their best offensive assets on the team. A lot can be said by just seeing the target share in the Seattle passing game. Barner has the most targets by any Seahawks pass-catcher not named Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Cooper Kupp. In fact, he has just two less targets than Kupp and five more receptions than the former All-Pro. His six receiving touchdowns are also second on the team. But listening to Mike Macdonald talk about Barner on Monday after Seattle’s 27-10 win in Carolina, Seattle’s coach certainly doesn’t seem surprised to see the results from the second-year tight end given how he attacked improving his craft all offseason long after a steady rookie season where he caught four touchdowns. “I'm really proud of AJ,” Macdonald told reporters via Zoom. “Every player that we get asked about that's had a great year, he’s had a great offseason. It’s the truth, and that’s how it works. It doesn’t just pop up out of nowhere and all of a sudden the guy's making plays. His approach from when the season ended, the places where he trained, the effort and the attitude that he's had in the building, he's a spark plug. He’s a catalyst for our offense.” For the Seahawks, Barner’s value shows up most clearly in how complete he is. He can line up in-line and hold his own in the run game, sealing edges and creating lanes that don’t show up in the box score but absolutely show up on film. As a receiver, he’s reliable and opportunistic. He finds soft spots against zone, boxes out defenders in tight windows, and gives Sam Darnold a trustworthy option on critical downs. Those traits matter just as much as raw athleticism, especially in high-leverage situations. Among 38 tight ends that have received at least 40 targets, Barner ranks 10th in overall Pro Football Focus grade, seventh in receiving grade, and seventh in pass blocking. Only six tight ends in the entire NFL have more than his six touchdowns. In the run game, he ranks 28th out of 64 tight ends in run blocking grade. It’s not just the numbers. It’s the attitude. Barner made several big plays for the Seahawks on Sunday that led to them defeating the Panthers after a slow start. All three of his catches resulted in either a first down or touchdown, with the latter coming on a 17-yard grab from Sam Darnold to push the lead to 17-3 midway through the third quarter. He also got Carolina’s defense to jump offsides with his booming cadence on a 3rd and 1 play while under center for the QB sneak variant that has become known as the “Barn Yard,” looking as if the former high school quarterback had been schooled by Aaron Rodgers. “I'm a vocal person. I can have a loud voice, so that might help a little bit,” Barner said. “And the push that our O line gets, I mean, people know that's coming and it's tough to stop. So I think that helps too.” Embodying what modern offenses quietly depend on, Barner checks off the boxes for versatility and trust. Coaches can leave him on the field in any personnel grouping without tipping their hand. Defenses can’t assume run or pass based on his presence, and that flexibility helps everything else function more smoothly. Barner’s game in Carolina got him over the 50-catch, 500-yard, six-touchdown plateau. The last time the Seahawks had a tight end reach those marks was in 2017, Jimmy Graham’s second Pro Bowl season with Seattle. It’s getting hard to argue against him being the best tight end in Seattle since Graham’s days. For now, Kelce and Kittle will still be the ones getting the commercials, while Bowers and Arizona’s Trey McBride get the gaudy stats. But Barner is exactly what the Seahawks need. And he deserves appreciation.