Noah Fant - 34% of his career targets are from Drew Lock, 45% Geno Smith?

[MC Howley]

When people are saying he is not elite, or didn't pan out for a 1st round pick.

Make sure to remember, he is only 26 years old... and this is the list of QBs he caught passes from... and now, hes getting dimes from Joe Burrow.

Between 2019 and 2023:

Breakdown by Quarterback (% of Receptions)

Drew Lock: 45.1%
Teddy Bridgewater: 16.4%
Geno Smith: 16.4%
Russell Wilson: 9.7%
Joe Flacco: 8.8%
Others (Rypien, Driskel, Allen): 3.6%

Through 2024:

Career Reception Shares (Through End of 2024)

Geno Smith: ~45 %
Drew Lock: ~34 %
Teddy Bridgewater: ~12 %
Russell Wilson: ~7 %
Joe Flacco: ~7 %
Other QBs (Rypien, Driskel, Allen): ~2 %

Q

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

Kind of reminds me of Gesicki before he got here. We will see, definitely like the addition of Fant. He can really open things up for Mike G
who is the hybrid of the bunch. We needed another pass catching TE that was versatile, Sample is a blocker and Hudson is just a zone pass
catcher.

[007BengalsFan]

While Burrow is a better QB than all those listed, it isnt like most of those other guys are horrible QBs. I think Fant will have a good year with Burrow but he is not an elite TE.

[Soonerpeace]

(07-31-2025, 04:13 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: While Burrow is a better QB than all those listed, it isnt like most of those other guys are horrible QBs. I think Fant will have a good year with Burrow but he is not an elite TE.

No but we needed a TE that wasn’t situational

[Luvnit2]

(07-31-2025, 01:11 PM)MC Howley Wrote: When people are saying he is not elite, or didn't pan out for a 1st round pick.

Make sure to remember, he is only 26 years old... and this is the list of QBs he caught passes from... and now, hes getting dimes from Joe Burrow.

Between 2019 and 2023:

Breakdown by Quarterback (% of Receptions)

Drew Lock: 45.1%
Teddy Bridgewater: 16.4%
Geno Smith: 16.4%
Russell Wilson: 9.7%
Joe Flacco: 8.8%
Others (Rypien, Driskel, Allen): 3.6%

Through 2024:

Career Reception Shares (Through End of 2024)

Geno Smith: ~45 %
Drew Lock: ~34 %
Teddy Bridgewater: ~12 %
Russell Wilson: ~7 %
Joe Flacco: ~7 %
Other QBs (Rypien, Driskel, Allen): ~2 %

Q

I listened to Zac's words. He said he is fast. He would not have been that specific unless it showed up during workouts or on tape. I agree he is young and I think he made a wise decision. However, he is going to have to work hard for targets with the talented group of WR's and TE's.

I like the competition it appears Zac has created this year from OL, CB, WR and TE. We may have most depth at these positions of any team in the NFL or certainly on par when you go 5 or 6 deep in WR room or 3 or 3 in TE room, same for CB as WR's.

Just saw it sounds like Browning is also haveing a good camp. Maybe the addition of Ridder lit a fire or maybe jjust 1 mor year of experience + throwing to deep skilled position group can't hurt

[Luvnit2]

(07-31-2025, 04:13 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: While Burrow is a better QB than all those listed, it isnt like most of those other guys are horrible QBs.  I think Fant will have a good year with Burrow but he is not an elite TE.

He does not need to be, he needs to be a compliment to Chase, Higgins and Gesicki.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(07-31-2025, 04:21 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: No but we needed a TE that wasn’t situational

Yep, Mike G is like a big WR, Drew is a blocker, Hudson is a pass catcher in the zone, we needed a more versatile TE, Fant fits the bill.

[Bengalbug]

(07-31-2025, 04:21 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I listened to Zac's words. He said he is fast. He would not have been that specific unless it showed up during workouts or on tape. I agree he is young and I think he made a wise decision. However, he is going to have to work hard for targets with the talented group of WR's and TE's.

I like the competition it appears Zac has created this year from OL, CB, WR and TE. We may have most depth at these positions of any team in the NFL or certainly on par when you go 5 or 6 deep in WR room or 3 or 3 in TE room, same for CB as WR's.

Just saw it sounds like Browning is also haveing a good camp. Maybe the addition of Ridder lit a fire or maybe jjust 1 mor year of experience + throwing to deep skilled position group can't hurt

Noah Fant ran a 4.5 40 at the combine, a full .10 of a second better than Njoku. Almost every speed drill, in fact, he was .10 better than Njoku.

To bring this into a more local perspective.

Tee Higgins ran a 4.59, with a 1.66 10 yard split and 2.72 20 yard split. He had a 4.53 20 yard shuttle, 31” vertical and 10’3” broad jump.

Fant ran a 4.5, with a 1.55 10 yard split and 2.61 20 yard split. He had a 4.22 20 yard shuttle, 39.5” vertical and 10’7” broad jump.

Noah Fant is an athlete.

FWIW, Mike Gesicki tested similarly to Fant, but also 3 years older.

[007BengalsFan]

(07-31-2025, 04:22 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: He does not need to be, he needs to be a compliment to Chase, Higgins and Gesicki.

I never said he needed to be elite.  My post was in response to the OPs opening statement: 


"When people are saying he is not elite, or didn't pan out for a 1st round pick."

[*bfine32*]

I was hoping to see a little more rushing in Fant's career; as I feel we miss a H-Back like the blonde kid w/ long hair (Hewitt?). To date Fant doesn't appear to have that dynamic. With his size and speed you'd like to see it.

EDIT"Well hell I just looked at Hewitt's stats and he had 1 carry in his whole career

[Soonerpeace]

(07-31-2025, 04:52 PM)Bengalbug Wrote: Noah Fant ran a 4.5 40 at the combine, a full .10 of a second better than Njoku. Almost every speed drill, in fact, he was .10 better than Njoku.

To bring this into a more local perspective.

Tee Higgins ran a 4.59, with a 1.66 10 yard split and 2.72 20 yard split. He had a 4.53 20 yard shuttle, 31” vertical and 10’3” broad jump.

Fant ran a 4.5, with a 1.55 10 yard split and 2.61 20 yard split. He had a 4.22 20 yard shuttle, 39.5” vertical and 10’7” broad jump.

Noah Fant is an athlete.

FWIW, Mike Gesicki tested similarly to Fant, but also 3 years older.

The goal is to negate safeties double teaming Chase and Tee both. Mostly Chase. Fant & Gesicki on deep routes aren’t going to allow it.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(07-31-2025, 04:52 PM)Bengalbug Wrote: Noah Fant ran a 4.5 40 at the combine, a full .10 of a second better than Njoku.  Almost every speed drill, in fact, he was .10 better than Njoku.

To bring this into a more local perspective.

Tee Higgins ran a 4.59, with a 1.66 10 yard split and 2.72 20 yard split.  He had a 4.53 20 yard shuttle, 31” vertical and 10’3” broad jump.

Fant ran a 4.5, with a 1.55 10 yard split and 2.61 20 yard split.  He had a 4.22 20 yard shuttle, 39.5” vertical and 10’7” broad jump.

Noah Fant is an athlete.

FWIW, Mike Gesicki tested similarly to Fant, but also 3 years older.

Good stuff Bengalbug. Impressive stuff and reminds me of why I wanted Fant in that Draft.

(07-31-2025, 05:14 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I was hoping to see a little more rushing in Fant's career; as I feel we miss a H-Back like the blonde kid w/ long hair (Hewitt?). To date Fant doesn't appear to have that dynamic. With his size and speed you'd like to see it.

EDIT"Well hell I just looked at Hewitt's stats and he had 1 carry in his whole career

Sample plays H-back pretty well but just as a blocker, maybe Fant would do better as he is a much better pass catcher with ten times the speed.

[jj22]

Burrow has only failed to make a star out of 1 TE.And he loves to throw to them. Dating back to LSU. 

Bank on Fant having a career year.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(07-31-2025, 07:30 PM)jj22 Wrote: Burrow has only failed to make a star out of 1 TE.And he loves to throw to them. Dating back to LSU. 

Bank on Fant having a career year.

Star? Come on man, not one of his TE's have been stars and I like Hurst and Gesicki a bit more for his big play potential, but they aren't stars.

[jj22]

Hey get paid after a year with Burrow.

Become coveted FA’s. 

[3wt]

(07-31-2025, 07:30 PM)jj22 Wrote: Burrow has only failed to make a star out of 1 TE.And he loves to throw to them. Dating back to LSU. 

Bank on Fant having a career year.

And he's hard to take down.   A lot of YAC.  He could be a really scary addition!

[Bengalitis]

if he has solid hands, and he can get the 3rd and whatever for a 1st down.. that's all we need..

[TheFan]

(07-31-2025, 04:13 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: While Burrow is a better QB than all those listed, it isnt like most of those other guys are horrible QBs.  I think Fant will have a good year with Burrow but he is not an elite TE.

The only one who wasnt trash while Fant played with them was Geno Smith. Lock is objectively garbage. Wilson and Flacco were trash in Denver. Bridgewater has never been anything other than pedestrian, likely due to always being hurt but he never reached his potential. Not saying Fant is going to turn into Kittle, but he has had some bad QB play throughout his career with a maybe slightly above average Geno Smith as his best.