Elijah Arroyo

Arroyo has sustained three significant knee injuries: college ACL (2022), Senior Bowl knee injury, and Week 14 2025 knee injury that sidelined him through the playoffs until Super Bowl activation. Durability is a major red flag for dynasty.

AJ Barner (dynasty value 2735) is the established TE1 and is trending upward as one of the NFL's better young tight ends. The Seahawks enter 2026 with Barner firmly atop the depth chart, leaving Arroyo in a low-snap, low-target TE2 role with no clear path to volume unless Barner is injured or ineffective.

End-of-season usage collapsed before the knee injury hit: target share fell to 3% and snap share to 11% in Week 14, indicating Arroyo was being phased toward a blocking role rather than developed as a co-starter.

AJ Barner (dynasty value 2619) cemented himself as Seattle's franchise TE after a 58-catch, 7-TD breakout in 2025 including the playoffs — Arroyo's path to meaningful targets is almost entirely Barner-injury-dependent heading into 2026.

Seattle's TE room includes Noah Fant (veteran, established starter) and AJ Barner (competing for snaps). Arroyo's path to consistent target volume remains unclear without injury or significant role change.

AJ Barner is the established starter with slightly higher dynasty value (2808 vs 2519) and caught 30 passes for 245 yards and 4 TDs as a rookie. Competition for playing time remains significant in Seattle's multi-TE sets.

At 22.8 years old, Arroyo is in the optimal value appreciation window for TEs. The position typically peaks in the 25-28 age range, offering 2-3+ years of potential growth.

Noah Fant's July 2025 release removed the clear starter and saved Seattle $9M in cap space. Arroyo moved into the primary TE opportunity in a new offensive scheme under Klint Kubiak, who coached rookie TE Greg Dulcich to a breakout season.

Arroyo ranked 1st in YPR, 1st in YPT, and 2nd in aDOT among 2025 TE class at Miami. College film shows elite athleticism—speed comparable to Brock Bowers and Greg Dulcich, with plus YAC ability (9.1 YAC/rec).

At 22.8 years old, Arroyo is in the sweet spot for TE value appreciation. TEs typically peak 25-28; he has 2-3+ years of growth runway before entering his prime.

Noah Fant's July 2025 release cleared $8.91M in cap space and removed the veteran starter, opening primary TE opportunity for Arroyo and Barner in a new offensive scheme under Kubiak (now departed to Raiders).

At 23 years old with elite athletic measurables that attracted a 2nd-round investment (pick 50), Arroyo's long-term ceiling is legitimate. TE development curves allow for breakout seasons in Years 2-4, meaning dynasty managers are paying for an option with a multi-year runway.

Young TE (23) — still in value appreciation phase