As the game of football evolves, there are two major constants. First off, the game becomes more and more pass-oriented. Secondly, the players become even more athletic than they already were. While these game changers affect every position on the field, nowhere is it more evident than with tight ends. Originally, tight ends were mostly on the field for blocking purposes and very rarely ran routes. But now, they seem to be some of the most athletic, pass-viable, and valuable players on the field. So with the 28th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected the most athletic tight end in the class: David Njoku. But…where does he fit in with the Browns tight end squad? Let’s find out.
Cleveland Browns Tight End Depth Chart Projections
1. David Njoku
He’s an athletic freak. Honestly, that’s enough said. But let’s look a bit further into this. How much confidence do the Browns have in David Njoku? Well, immediately after they drafted him, they cut tight end Gary Barnidge. Now, Barnidge wasn’t absolutely stellar in 2016, but he broke out in 2015. It’s more likely that they cut Barnidge due to his age, rather than lack of ability. But still, it happened. The Browns must have a ton of faith in Njoku, and it’s immediately clear to see why. Just look at him. Njoku looks like someone carved him out of stone. In that same vein, it’ll be fun to see him begin to carve up defenses this year (hopefully).
2. Seth DeValve
Recently, reports have shown Seth DeValve absolutely flying up the depth charts. Coming out of Princeton in 2016, DeValve is an incredibly intelligent player, to say the least. However, with all of the hype around Njoku, the Browns might be hesitant to start him. In addition to that, DeValve has also already dealt with a couple of injuries during his young career. For that reason, he might be served better as a second option on this Browns team. If Cleveland is trying to keep all their young guys healthy, this Browns tight end should only really appear in jumbo sets.
3. Randall Telfer
Randall Telfer‘s place on this depth chart is a very interesting conundrum. He’s despicably hard to judge because…well, he didn’t do much in 2016. During Hue Jackson‘s first year, he rarely utilized Telfer that much at all. Through the entirety of the season, Telfer had exactly two receptions for a measly four yards. However, he is still on the team as of writing. Whether or not he truly deserves to be on the roster is another story for another day. If the Browns are truly desperate and afraid of losing both Njoku and DeValve, then they should absolutely keep Telfer. Otherwise, it might be okay to cut him in this situation, unless he shows out in preseason. The chances of that actually happening though are, of course, quite slim. In any case, Telfer will likely be at the bottom of the Browns tight end depth chart this season, if he’s there at all.
