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David Njoku 2022 Outlook: Big Payday and Narrow Pass Funnel Could Lead to Top-12 Finish
3 years agoIt was four years ago, but David Njoku does have a TE1 season under his belt. In 2018, he ran as the starter for the Browns. He caught 56-of-88 targets for 639 yards and four touchdowns, finishing the season as TE9. It's been a couple of years of sharing the field with Austin Hooper, but Njoku finally gets another shot at returning TE1 value in 2022 with Hooper now in Tennessee. It's a small sample size, but Njoku played on 100% of the snaps in Week 15 last season without Hooper. He ended up seeing just five targets but ran 29 routes in that game, which was his second-highest total on the season. With Jarvis Landry now in New Orleans, Njoku's biggest target competition is Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and rookie wide receiver David Bell. Adding more fuel to the fire is the quarterback upgrade in Deshaun Watson as well as the $56.75 million endorsement by the Cleveland Browns in the form of a four-year contract extension. There's a lot to be excited about when it comes to Njoku playing a full-time role once again in 2022. Don't be surprised if he finds himself as one of the 12 best tight ends as he did in 2018.
