Much was made of Cleveland redesigning their entire offense for 2023, as well as bringing in a number of new receivers. However, one of the biggest beneficiaries of all of these changes were the Browns tight ends. In 2022, the Cleveland Browns only had two receivers that the other teams had to protect against: wide receiver Amari Cooper and tight end David Njoku. The addition of Elijah Moore in 2023, though it didn’t go as planned, opened up a lot of passing lanes that were previously closed.
Evaluating the Cleveland Browns Tight Ends
Eyebrows were raised around the league when David Njoku signed a $56.75 million contract extension in 2022. He was a 2017 first-round choice and expected to become one of the most dominant tight ends in the league. To that point, he had shown flashes of that ability. He also had mostly split time in the seasons before 2022, and therefore, the contract felt as if it was paying for potential (again), not production. He did set career marks in 2022, but barely.
2023 was an up-and-down season for Njoku. He was the unquestioned first in the Browns tight ends room. He started off solid but unspectacularly while the offense went through a lot of tough luck, first losing Nick Chubb then Deshaun Watson. Then, he inexplicably developed a case of the yips in October. He dropped a lot of passes, including key ones. This continued into November, when he caught just seven passes on 15 targets against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But as the offense settled down, his numbers started to climb. He clicked immediately with Joe Flacco. Njoku’s final five games saw him catch at least eight passes. He went over 90 yards in four of those games, with four touchdowns. He finished the year with career marks across the board with 81 receptions, 882 yards, and six scores. He’s locked in with the team until 2026.
The Rest of the Room
The Browns tight ends room added Jordan Akins before the 2023 season. The team needed a veteran backup for Njoku. Akins spend most of his career with quarterback Deshaun Watson throwing to him in Houston. The move made sense. Though the Browns went through multiple iterations of its offense in 2023 as the injuries mounted, one of the things that did not change was Head Coach Kevin Stefanski does not favor two tight end sets. Akins set career lows as Njoku took off. Akins also looked a little past his prime. However, Akins is signed to a cap-friendly deal for 2024. It seems unlikely the team will replace him at this time.
While Akins is signed, Harrison Bryant is not. Bryant joined the team as its fourth-round pick in 2020. He was viewed as something of a project. Bryant moved from offensive tackle to tight end in his senior year of high school and spent most of his college years learning how to be a receiver. had solid numbers in his first three seasons but dropped off in 2023 as he split his time with Akins. However, he became one of Stefanki’s gadget players, working from behind center in short-yardage situations. Whether he returns to Cleveland likely depends on the new offensive coordinator. If the reserve Browns tight ends have more options in 2024, he might return. But his intriguing skills could get him more opportunities elsewhere.
Main Photo: Thomas Shea – USA Today Sports
