Noah Fant

Fant reeled in 62 of 93 passes for 673 yards and three touchdowns during the 2020 season.

Analysis: New offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, a former tight ends coach himself, is known for loving the position and so it was intriguing to see how he was going to use Fant during his sophomore year. The answer was as more of a short-range, volume target than his predecessor Rich Scangarello. Fant averaged 4.1 catches per game in 2020, up from 2.5 in 2019, but his yards per catch fell by more than three -- from 14.1 in 2019 to 10.9 in 2020. Part of that was Fant was catching the ball shorter -- his yards before catch dropped from 5.8 in 2019 to 4.7 in 2020. Fant's ability to use his athleticism to cut up the field also was a factor. Fant fell off dramatically after injuring his ankle in Week 4 against the Jets -- an injury he never quite recovered from. Expect a junior jump for Fant with a full offseason in the offense and, hopefully, better health in 2021.

Fant said Monday that he never got '100 percent' healthy in 2020 after injuring his ankle against the Jets in Week 4, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

Analysis: Fant only officially missed one game due to his ankle injury, but as evidenced by the fact that he was never able to surpass the 81 receiving yards he logged Week 1, it appears that the 23-year-old tight end never got back to full form. Still, Fant's 62 catches (93 targets) for 673 yards and three scores through 15 games paint the picture of a successful sophomore campaign, especially considering the context of Denver's offensive woes and how slowly young tight ends usually develop. Given that Fant managed to avoid the Broncos' injury report entirely to close out the year, there's no reason to be concerned that his ankle issue will linger into offseason workouts.

Fant caught six of nine targets for 65 yards in Sunday's 19-16 loss to the Chargers.

Analysis: The tight end is having a strong close to his second NFL campaign, hauling in 14 catches for 133 yards and a TD on 20 targets over the last two games. Fant will look to keep his momentum rolling in Week 17's clash with the Raiders.

Fant reeled in eight of 11 targets for 68 yards and a touchdown during Saturday's 48-19 loss to the Bills.

Analysis: After being forced to exit last Sunday's win against Carolina in the first quarter because of an illness, Fant got back on track with a lucrative Week 15 performance. The second-year tight end attracted greater than double the targets of Denver's second-busiest option, Jerry Jeudy, while also racking up more catches and receiving yards than the entire receiving corps combined. Fant proved capable of snapping a 10-game scoring drought during the loss to Buffalo. Now, he shifts focus to a Chargers defense that ranked second worst in the NFL with 10 receiving TDs allowed to opposing tight ends.

Fant (illness) practiced fully Wednesday, putting him on track to play Saturday against the Bills, Troy Renck of ABC Denver7 reports.

Analysis: Fant was listed as a non-participant on Denver's practice estimate Tuesday, but he seems to have fully recovered and is on track to play Saturday against a Bills team that has struggled to defend tight ends. Buffalo has allowed the most catches (75) and second-most yards (833) to the position this season, along with seven touchdowns.

Coach Vic Fangio indicated Wednesday that Fant (illness) is fine, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

Analysis: Supporting that notion would be a full practice listing on Fant's part Wednesday, but based on Fangio's assessment it looks like the tight end should be a go for Saturday's game against the Bills.

Fant (illness) is listed as a non-participant on Tuesday's practice estimate, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Analysis: Fant made an early exit from Sunday's game at Carolina after coming down with an illness. He remained in Charlotte until Monday, when he tested negative for COVID-19 and was cleared to return to Denver. Still, Fant wouldn't have taken the field Tuesday if the Broncos had held a session. He'll aim to do so at some point before Saturday's contest against the Bills, but if Fant eventually isn't able to suit up, Denver will turn to Nick Vannett and Troy Fumagalli at tight end.

Fant (illness) returned negative PRC/POC tests for COVID-19 on Monday and will travel back to Denver, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

Analysis: Fant exited Sunday's win over the Panthers before drawing a target. Per Klis, Fant began to feel ill early, prompting the Broncos to take precautions for COVID-19. Coach Vic Fangio said after the game that Fant's illness my have been food poisoning, and now that he's tested negative for two straight days it looks like the second-year tight end will avoid a stint on the COVID list.

Coach Vic Fangio believes that the illness that caused Fant to exit Sunday's win over the Panthers may have been food poisoning, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: Once Fant, who wasn't targeted prior to his exit from the contest, was out of action, Nick Vannett and Troy Fumagalli handled Denver's tight end duties. Per Legwold, Fant tested negative for COVID-19 on Sunday, but will remain in Charlotte for the night and return to Denver on Monday if he tests negative again.

Fant was forced out of Sunday's game against the Panthers with an illness, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

Analysis: Fant was not targeted prior to his exit from the contest. Next up for the team's tight end snaps in his absence are Nick Vannett and Troy Fumagalli.

Fant converted a team-high seven targets into four receptions for 57 yards in Sunday's 22-16 loss to Kansas City.

Analysis: Fant continues to blossom as a receiving threat while slowly shedding the "bust" label that followed him after being selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The 22-year-old still struggles getting open in the end zone -- just two touchdowns through 12 games -- but he is consistently churning out high-floor, low-ceiling performances (excluding last week's bizarre contest which can be disregarded completely). There isn't a ton of upside here until he can develop into a reliable red-zone threat, but Fant is beginning to show some life in his sophomore campaign. Up next is a road tilt with the Panthers on Sunday.

Fant reeled in one of his two targets for 13 yards during Sunday's 31-3 loss to the Saints.

Analysis: The tight end came down with Denver's only reception of the afternoon, as Kendall Hinton struggled in his NFL debut. To be fair, the young signal-caller joined Denver's practice squad Nov. 4 as a wide receiver and he had minuscule time to prepare for his first start, but that doesn't help deep-league fantasy managers who were depending on a decent outing from Fant. The Iowa product yielded 35-plus receiving yards in his first seven appearances of the season, but he's now been held under 20 yards in two of his last three appearances. If Drew Lock is activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list in time for a Week 13 matchup against Kansas City, Fant's prospects will be exponentially improved.

Fant caught four of five targets for 55 yards during Sunday's 20-13 win over Miami.

Analysis: Fant kick-started a key, clock-draining drive midway through the fourth quarter when he took a short pass at the sideline and broke back over the middle of the field for a 29-yard catch-and-run. The play helped Fant reach his highest yardage mark since Week 2. His 33 yards after the catch were his third most this season. Denver found a groove Sunday with Drew Lock booting out and finding Fant and fellow tight end Nick Vannett in the flat. Look for that to continue against a Saints team that can push the pocket, but has been so-so covering tight ends.

Fant (ribs) is active for Sunday's Week 11 tilt against the Dolphins.

Analysis: The athletic tight end ran the gamut of practice participation during the week, finishing up with a full session Friday that supported the notion of active status Sunday. That's now official, meaning Fant will once again serve as the primary tight end option against a Dolphins defense that's surrendered a 36-343-4 line to the position this season.

Coach Vic Fangio said Friday that he expects Fant (ribs), who is listed as questionable, to play in Sunday's game against the Dolphins, Jon Heath of BroncosWire reports.

Analysis: According to Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site, Fangio said that Fant is in a "good spot" after practicing at full speed Friday, putting him on pace to suit up in Sunday's AFC showdown. If Fant in fact plays, it's unsettled who he'll catch passes from, as Drew Lock (ribs) is questionable, and Brett Rypien likely would start under center if Lock can't go.

Fant (ribs) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Dolphins, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

Analysis: If Fant suits up, it's possible he'll be catching passes from backup Brett Rypien, as starting quarterback Drew Lock (elbow) is also questionable. Nick Vannett -- who has just six catches all season -- would top Denver's tight end depth chart if Fant ends up sitting out.

Fant (ribs) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Dolphins, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

Analysis: If Fant suits up, it's possible he'll be catching passes from backup Brett Rypien, as starting quarterback Drew Lock (elbow) is also questionable. Nick Vannett -- who has just six catches all season -- would top Denver's tight end depth chart if Fant ends up sitting out.

Fant (ribs) returned to a limited practice Thursday, Troy Renck of Denver 7 News reports.

Analysis: Fant sat out Wednesday's session, so the tight end's return to the field Thursday bodes well for his chances of playing Sunday against the Dolphins. Per Mike Klis of 9News Denver, coach Vic Fangio said that he's confident Fant will play this weekend, a notion that would be supported by his return to a full practice Friday.

Fant (ribs) returned to practice Thursday, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reporters.

Analysis: It remains to be seen if he's listed as a full or limited participant, but Fant's return to the field Thursday, in any capacity, has the tight end trending in the right direction as Sunday's game against the Dolphins approaches.

A rib injury was responsible for Fant's absence from practice Wednesday, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Analysis: On one hand, it's encouraging that Fant hasn't aggravated the ankle injury that has bothered him in recent weeks. On the other, it's concerning that he's battling a new injury to his ribs. Nick Vannett is the only healthy tight end option left on a Denver depth chart that has been decimated by injuries and would step into a starting role Sunday against the Dolphins if Fant's injury proves serious enough to sideline him.

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