Barner quietly put together one of the better Year 2 leaps at the position, jumping from 3.2 points per game as a rookie to a TE13 finish at 7.4 points per game in 2025. The six touchdowns drove most of the production, but he caught 52 of 64 targets for a solid 519 yards in 17 games. The PFF underlying metrics are middling rather than impressive (69th percentile route grade, 53rd percentile YPRR), but his ESPN OVERALL score (77th percentile) is genuinely good, and his contested catch rate (78th percentile) and avoided tackle rate (73rd percentile) suggest he's a solid receiver for an in-line tight end. The 3rd percentile slot rate confirms what the eye test says: Barner is a true Y-TE, lined up tight to the formation, doing damage near the line of scrimmage rather than streaking down the seams. That role profile gives him a touchdown-dependent fantasy ceiling, and the six TDs from last year may not be entirely repeatable, though he’s the biggest target that Sam Darnold has. He's going as a TE2 in deeper formats, and he's a fine late-round option for managers who want a player with weekly TE1 upside attached to red zone usage—just don't expect significant volume growth.