Noah Fant notched more catches on more targets than Juwan Johnson on Sunday.
It wasn’t the statistical breakdown that would’ve been expected from the New Orleans Saints‘ TE depth chart.
Johnson is coming off a career year and supposed to be the standout player. Fant is at the point in his career where he’s supposed to be just a useful secondary piece but not someone who commands a lot of offensive attention.
On Sunday against the Lions in Detroit, though, Fant caught 4-of-8 targets for 33 yards. That compared to Johnson’s 3-of-7 targets caught — although Johnson did have more yardage, 54.
Both tight ends caught a touchdown in the wild overtime game.
Johnson started very quietly while Fant was involved early, which definitely created some curiosity with what was happening with this duo.
In the end, though, Johnson had a productive game, and some of the underlying data suggests there’s nothing to be concerned about.
Why Juwan Johnson is Still Ahead of Noah Fant
Snap counts tell the true story for the Saints.
Johnson was on the field for 76 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Fant played 37 snaps, one less than half of Johnson.
Sure, part of that is that Johnson is on the field in base packages and helps out as a blocker in the run game, but it’s still a stark difference.
Anyone worried about whether Johnson is still the TE1 in New Orleans can take a deep breath. It’s clear that he’s the top dog in the rotation.
Fant’s 37 snaps in this long game worked out to a bit more than a third — the Saints played 90 offensive snaps in total.
Saints Snap Counts
PFF’s snap counts tell a few other interesting stories about the Saints from Week 1.
Devaughn Vele led the wide receivers in snaps, on the field for 82 of 90 plays.
Chris Olave was second with 77 snaps, although he did also deal with cramping so that explains the slight gap.
The rookie Bryce Lance was by far the third-most used receiver for New Orleans, on the field for 62-of-90 snaps. That’s a positive sign for him going forward.
In the backfield, despite relatively low productivity, Travis Etienne Jr. did lead the way with 53 snaps. Kendre Miller got 26 offensive plays, and CJ Donaldson was out there for 15.
Then you get to the bottom of the pass-catching depth charts. The third tight end, Treyton Welch, saw 10 plays on the field.
At receiver, Barion Brown got seven snaps and Kevin Austin Jr. got five snaps.
The WR breakdown could change eventually if Jordyn Tyson gets healthy, but for now the pecking orders all seem quite clear for New Orleans.
Saints Snap Counts: Why Noah Fant Catching More Passes Than Juwan Johnson Isn’t a Problem