4 Seahawks players who could be nice surprises in 2024

Tight end Noah Fant could have an explosive season

Noah Fant must be glad that Shane Waldron is gone because Waldron simply did not use Fant as much or as well as he should. In fact, while Fant did re-sign with the Seahawks this offseason, he might not have done so had Waldron still been the offensive coordinator. Fant began his career with the Broncos and even in that insipid offense, he got the ball a lot more than he has so far in Seattle. Next year with Ryan Grubb in charge of the offense, Fant could see his number nearly double compared to 2023.

This is because while Fant has flashed the ability to catch and then run with ease and should have been a dangerous weapon who took advantage of lots of one-on-one coverage since other teams would have focused more on Lockett, Metcalf, and Smith-Njigba, Waldron did not design many players for him. In 2023, Fant set career lows in targets (43 - 20 targets fewer than in any other season, which happened to be with Seattle and Waldron in 2022). receptions (32), receiving yards (414), and he did not score a touchdown.

Of course, it is difficult to score if you are not getting the ball very much. With Grubb in control, Fant should see his numbers rise to closer to 70 catches and 800 yards with 7 touchdowns. That is going to help the offense overall as defenses will be forced to pay attention to the tight end.

Read more from 12th Man Rising