The Seahawks will have a much different look on offense in 2022 in the absence of Russell Wilson. While the team does still have two accomplished pass-catchers on the perimeter, the tight end group could be in line for a more featured role in 2022. 
ESPN’s Brady Henderson cites that unit – rather than any one member of it – as Seattle’s offensive breakout candidate. The team’s TE usage generally ranked mid-pack at best during Wilson’s tenure at the helm, with the exception of Jimmy Graham‘s three-year stint in the Emerald City. With either Drew Lock or Geno Smith under center for at least the immediate future, though, more targets could be funnelled toward the middle of the field.
The primary beneficiary of such an offensive shift would be Noah Fant. Part of the package Seattle received from Denver in the Wilson trade, the 24-year-old has flashed potential during his first three seasons in the NFL, but fallen short of expectations given his draft stock. The No. 20 pick in his class (which, as Henderson notes, took him off the board right before Seattle would have selected him), Fant acknowledged the possibility for greater production after the trade.
“I’m kind of stuck at that high-600 [yards] ceiling, and I’ve got to break through that” he said. “I think I have every opportunity to do that in Seattle, and I’m excited to get to work to do that.”
More attention on the TE position could also see Will Dissly playing a more prominent role. The former fourth-rounder has put up consistent number during his four years with the Seahawks, earning him a three-year, $24MM deal in free agency to remain with the team. His blocking ability will always give him a path to playing time in the team’s run-heavy offense, but even a slight uptick in targets could lead to positive results for the offense. The same could be true of 2020 draftee Colby Parkinson, whom head coach Pete Carroll spoke highly of as part of his general optimism surrounding the group.
“We’ve got a lot of flexibility with these guys, and they’re going to be a big part of what we’re doing,” he said. It remains to be seen how the unit will mesh with a new QB and wideouts Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf, but a large workload could be in store.
Without Russell Wilson, more throws will be aimed at tight ends. With Drew Lock and Geno Smith, that doesn’t mean they’ll actually get there.
Not with those QBs they won’t be.
What a wasted year for Seahawks. If with Russell Wilson they’d be extremely lucky to finish 2nd in the division, likely 3/4. I guess Sleepless in Seattle wasn’t fiction.
So with Russ we would be in 2nd to 4th place? Was it not a good time and trade him while his value was high? They can go into next years draft and be poised to get a really good QB. If Wilson was here we might win a few more games miss the playoffs and still be stuck with a high priced QB. Not even sure if he would sign here again. The guy is a good QB but a divas too. Now we need Denver to fall off the rails or buck the rider and give us a good 1st & 2nd round pick. Two in the top ten would be nice.
And we would not have had this year’s first pick. The timing was right…and people forget this was ot just seahawks idea. Russ felt time to go.
I foresee a lot of TE screens with Fant in the future. The downfield threats of both Lockett and Metcalf, plus the expected success of rival pass rushers against the poor decision making from Lock and/or Smith, makes easy screens seem like a good weapon in the passing game. In Denver, the Broncos had Lock use those plays to generate easy completions when he began to struggle, and Fant’s athleticism led to a few big gains in that department. He’s not much of a blocker as is, so using his incredible athleticism at the position is certainly advantageous.
Fant complained about being consigned to those screen plays too often, but the fact remains that he is very good at them and they can relieve pressure against an overwhelmed quarterback. As I said, the two legitimate downfield threats at WR and run blocking oriented offensive line should help create open space for an athletic talent like Fant to run underneath for easy yardage.
With the possibility hawks were facing in trade of going with Geno or lock im sure that is one of big reasons they asked for Fant also. A good TE can be a rookie or mid tier QBs best friend.
Agreed. Fant is also potentially a young, long term piece at the position who will likely be there for a while.