Seahawks just unleashed a shocking breakout star

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald referred to the tight end group as the "silent engine" of the team's offense this past summer. Many took that as a vote of confidence in second-round rookie Elijah Arroyo, though incumbent starter AJ Barner has primarily personified that statement.

Arroyo is a flashier name and higher-pedigree prospect than Barner. However, the latter has emerged as the top dog in the position room, at least in the Seahawks' eyes. Seeing the less-heralded player be the preferred option may rattle some cages, but Seattle's Week 4 win over the Arizona Cardinals serves as validation.

Barner has progressed quickly than your typical Day 3 tight end, a notoriously slow-developing position, since the Seahawks drafted him last offseason. The continued improvement culminated in arguably the best performance of his young career against the Cardinals. He's giving Seattle the breakout it anticipated from Arroyo.

AJ Barner's surprising breakout puts Seahawks rookie TE Elijah Arroyo on the back burner

The Seahawks looked to Barner late in the first quarter of their 23-20 victory in Arizona to get them on the board. Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold found the former Michigan Wolverine on a nifty wheel route for a 16-yard score. It was a simple yet great and effective pitch-and-catch connection.

We got a full display of Barner's fluid movement for someone of his size (6-foot-6, 251 pounds) and soft hands. The same can be said for his athleticism and technical skills, timing the intersection with Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp beautifully to generate separation.

There was a lull period afterward, but the Seahawks wasted no time targeting Barnes coming out of the break versus Arizona. He caught two passes for an additional 16 yards on Seattle's opening drive of the second half, bringing him to a 3-32-1 receiving line.

His involvement as a pass-catcher was supplemented with sound protection efforts, showcasing an ability to positively impact multiple facets of the game.

Pro Football Focus (subscription required) gave Barner a solid 77.3 pass-blocking grade in Seattle's defeat of the Cardinals. While he didn't fare as well in the ground attack, his previous performances suggest that's more an outlier than a trend. The 23-year-old is blossoming into a well-rounded contributor, and there's no putting the toothpaste back in the tube once it's out.