Noah Fant was sidelined with a groin injury this week, thrusting Barner into the starting role. His seven targets were good for second-most on the team, though he failed to do much with the increase in opportunities. With Seattle on bye next week, Barner is only worth an add in deep leagues or TE premium formats. He will sit in the middle of the TE2 ranks for Week 11 versus the 49ers if Fant is unable to return after the bye.

Barner (6’6/251) is entering the draft after four college seasons - three at Indiana and one at Michigan. He started his freshman year without an offensive touch and would catch 42 passes for 361 yards and four touchdowns between his sophomore and junior years. Barner then transferred to Michigan for his final season, finishing with 22 receptions for 249 yards and a touchdown for the national champions while establishing himself as a formidable blocker. He was an All-Big Ten Honorable mention and participated in the Senior Bowl before testing at Michigan’s Pro Day, notching a 4.84 40-yard dash and 34.5-inch vertical jump. His numbers don’t profile him as an impactful pass-catching tight end, but Barner’s blocking will earn him looks from NFL teams. His 7.02 three-cone drill shows quick movement, which makes him an asset in both the run game and pass protection. A tight end room in need of a blocker with some pass-catching traits would be able to develop Barner.