A run-heavy club for most of quarterback Russell Wilson‘s decade-long tenure, the Seattle Seahawks figured to be even more dependent on the ground game after they shipped Wilson off to the Denver Broncos and replaced him with a bona fide journeyman in QB Geno Smith. Instead, Smith passed for 4,282 yards, which eclipsed Wilson’s single-season best of 4,219 yards (albeit in one more game).
While the Seahawks still rushed for a respectable 2,042 yards, which ranked 18th in the NFL, the shift to a more pass-happy offense doesn’t feel like a one-off. To that end, Seattle used a first-round pick on Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was considered by many to be the top wide receiver in the draft. He’ll join returning 1,000-yard wideouts DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, giving the club an imposing three-receiver look.
Today’s question, though, is what that means for the tight end position after the trio of Noah Fant, Will Dissly, and Colby Parkinson combined for 109 receptions, 1,156 yards, and nine TDs in 2022.
Noah Fant
Picked up from Denver in the Wilson deal, Fant was penciled in as the starter entering last season, but instead he essentially split time, playing 38.8 snaps per game to Dissly’s 37.9. The result was a 50-486-4 line, which represented a career low in yardage. While a decent player, Fant hasn’t moved the needle much statistically, and his yards-per-reception has dipped each year in the league. Seattle picked up Fant’s fifth-year option before last season, meaning he’ll be in the last year of his deal in 2023, and there have already been rumblings he could be a cap casualty.
Will Dissly
If Fant was 1a, Dissly was 1b. The sixth-year pro is entering the second season of a three-year, $24 million contract, though his primary value has been as a blocker. To that end, his 34 catches and 349 yards a season ago both represented career highs. While Seattle clearly values what Dissly brings to the table, he’s had issues staying healthy, playing every game just once (2020) in five seasons; that includes him finishing last year on IR with a knee injury.
Colby Parkinson
A complete afterthought his first two seasons, Parkinson posted a 25-322-2 line in 2022, and his 12.9 yards per catch were the most at the position. He played 26.1 snaps per game, which is about a dozen fewer than Fant or Dissly, but the 24-year-old has great size (6-foot-7, 251 pounds) and could be thrust into a bigger role if Fant is released or Dissly gets hurt.
Fantasy football outlook
With the trio of Metcalf, Lockett, and JSN likely to get a lot of looks from Smith, it’s dubious that there’ll be enough left over for Seattle’s tight ends to get meaningful action.
Maybe if one of them separates to become the clear No. 1 TE there could be some value, but that feels unlikely. On draft day, none of them should be selected.
