AJ Barner, the Michigan TE, sits at No. 162 on the consensus board across 3 public boards. The tier model reads him as a NFL starter — 6% elite, 50% starter.
Technique
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein: “In-line tight end who continues improving as a run blocker but is unlikely to offer much as a pass catcher.”
Technique
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein: “He's technically sound in the early stages of the run block but needs to improve with his positioning to create better lanes for the runner.”
Production Context
NFL Network's Bucky Brooks: “Barner is an intriguing specimen as a versatile tight end who can play "Y" or flex in a multiple-TE offense.”
Role and scheme fit
The archetype rules read him as a balanced-TE.
Sources · 4 · quotes 2
The report above is our synthesis. These links preserve the research trail; quoted language below remains the source's own.
- Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
- Bucky Brooks, NFL Network
- Lance Zierlein, nfl_com_zierlein
- Bucky Brooks, nflcom_bucky_brooks
“…In-line tight end who continues improving as a run blocker but is unlikely to offer much as a pass catcher. He was a captain at Indiana before transferring to Michigan, and scouts say he attacks practices and weight training with a single-minded obsession to get better and compete. He's technically sound in the early stages of the run block but needs to improve with his positioning to create better lanes for the runn…”
“…Barner is an intriguing specimen as a versatile tight end who can play "Y" or flex in a multiple-TE offense. As a scrappy blocker with sticky hands and crafty route-running ability, the 6-6, 251-pounder could make his mark as a rotational player in Year 1.…”
Sourced synthesis from 4 scouting sources, not original film. How these reports are written →