The Seattle Seahawks are coming off of an offseason that has been spent in service of transitioning from the Pete Carroll era to a whole new era.
Mike MacDonald has taken over the reins in Seattle and now the Seahawks' roster is being remade in the image of the type of team he would like to have in the Pacific Northwest. The Seahawks drafted a unique class of rookies that all have a chance to contribute, but there is one who stands out above the rest going into MacDonald's inaugural season with the Seahawks.
MacDonald mania has coincided with the release of a list of scariest pitfalls on the Seahawks' 2024 schedule. Game-by-game predictions were also released.
The Seahawks' 2024 top rookie sleeper is someone most fans aren't familiar with even though his team won the national championship in 2024. That player is AJ Barner of Michigan.
Barner's skills, size fit perfectly on Seahawks
Barner was selected in the fourth round, 121st overall, in the 2024 NFL Draft.
He played three seasons at Indiana, flying under the radar nationally before gaining some notoriety at Michigan under coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator (now head coach) Sherrone Moore.
Barner averaged just over 20 catches per season in three seasons as a major contributor in the Big Ten with the Hoosiers and Wolverines. So, what justified his selection in the fourth round of a deep and talented 2024 NFL Draft class?
In brief, Barner is one of the most mature and NFL ready players in his class. He also has a high ceiling due to his hulking size and athletic build, with intangibles that surpass many other rookies at his position.
In 2023, Barner was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten. In 2022, he was named a team captain of the Indiana Hoosiers' football team.
Barner is the kind of player who will pay attention to the details and work hard consistently, which is what makes him a perfect fit for a new regime with the Seahawks.
Barner's expected impact on 2024 Seahawks
Barner is expected to contribute from day one with the Seahawks. He is an excellent blocker who helped pave the way for Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards to destroy the Washington Huskies in the 2024 National Championship Game.
He isn't the fastest deep ball receiver among tight ends in his class, but he has the size at 6-foot-6, 245 pounds to fight off and fight through traffic, making circus catches around the goal line and protecting the football. The entire NFC is sleeping on Seattle's potential as an offense, but Barner is the type of sneaky good addition who will pay big dividends in ways that don't always translate on the stat sheet.
With Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet forming a punishing one-two duo in the backfield, opponents will find the sledding even much tougher against Barner and the rest of the Seahawks' blockers in the running game.
A Jim and John Harbaugh disciple, it's no secret that MacDonald wants to punish and outflank opponents at the point of attack. Barner gives him and the Seahawks' offense under coordinator Ryan Grubb a chance to improve starting in week one of the season.
Make no mistake about it, Grubb took note of Barner's performance for the Wolverines in the championship game, and got plenty of intel from former Huskies coach Kalen DeBoer on what the former Michigan tight end brings to the table.
Barner is considered a reach as a fourth rounder by many pundits, but he has the sneaky good talent, measurables and intangibles to help transform the Seahawks' offense into something powerful and dependable as a role player alongside Geno Smith and the rest of the team's offense in 2024-2025.
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