Overview
Position: Tight End
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 245 pounds
School: Miami Hurricanes
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.64 seconds
Bench press: 21 reps
Vertical jump: 37.5 inches (tied for third among tight ends)
Broad jump: 11 feet, 1 inch (second among tight ends)
Three-cone drill: 6.97 seconds (third among tight ends)
20-yard shuttle: 4.34 seconds
David Njoku 2017 NFL Draft Profile
David Njoku comes into the NFL Draft as a compelling prospect with plenty of questions around his skill set. Njoku came to Miami from Cedar Grove, NJ as a three-star recruit. He was a wide receiver in high school, and was a National High Jump Champion. However, it was a question how his size and skills would translate into an offense in college.
Coming from a school that produced stud tight ends like Greg Olsen, Jeremy Shockey, Jimmy Graham, Kellen Winslow among others, he decided to take on tight end as his new position. With little experience in that role, he was redshirted as a freshman. Still very raw in his abilities, he started in just four games and caught 21 passes a year later. However, with 17.6 yards per reception, the upside of his abilities was starting to show.
In his redshirt sophomore season, he still started in just five games. But he was able to explode onto the scene, catching eight touchdown passes on 43 receptions. He had highlight signature plays, and all of the sudden, the unknown talent carved his way onto the map. His hype grew enough for him to take his shot at the NFL draft, despite just nine career starts.
Strengths
- Ability to create yards after catch;
- Sets up blockers in front of him well, can be used in the screen game;
- Freakish combination of speed and athleticism;
- Willing blocker, from the slot, out wide, and on the line;
- Solid route runner;
- Wide catch radius.
Weaknesses
- Inconsistent as a blocker;
- Needs to add strength to be an inline blocker;
- Doesn’t attack the ball in the air;
- Had issues with drops.
NFL Comparison: Jimmy Graham
Teams with needs at position: Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets
Projection: mid first round
Bottom Line
Njoku is the youngest eligible player in this draft class. That makes a lot of sense given how raw he is. It also can speak to how of a ceiling he tends to have. In terms of raw athleticism, and size, there may not be a more dynamic prospect in the class. Still, as a tight end, he is hardly where you want him to be as a blocker.
His drops, and lack of aggression to attack the ball in the air gives him some questions in the passing game as well. Still, when he has the ball in his hands, he is fast, strong, has quick feet and can hurdle his way into the end zone. He will be an immediate red zone threat, and in a year or two, it would not be a surprise to see that he is the most athletically gifted and talented tight end prospect in the class. It merits the idea that he can go in the first round, and while O.J. Howard is a more refined prospect to date, Njoku could wind up being the top tight end prospect in a very long time thanks to his physical traits.
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