Cleveland Browns General Manager Andrew Berry surprised many people when he awarded a huge contract, seemingly out of nowhere, during the 2022 offseason. No, not that one. The focus of this article is, instead, the Browns tight end room, including the freshly-paid David Njoku.
Browns Tight Ends are the Team’s Hidden Gems
Big Deal for David Njoku
Before the famous (or infamous?) $250 million DeShaun Watson deal, Berry handed Browns tight end, David Njoku, $56 million over four years.
At the same time, Berry also released Austin Hooper. He was two years into a $42 million deal. This was seen as a massive vote of confidence in what Njoku had done, and what he could do in the future.
In a year of ups and down for the Browns, Njoku turned in a solid, steady season in 2022. He caught nearly 80% of all targets from interim starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
When Watson finally made his long-awaited Browns debut, Njoku’s playing time actually increased. Despite missing three games, he ended the season with 58 receptions, 628 yards, and four touchdowns (all near career marks).
Much has been made of overhauling the Browns offense this off-season to accommodate Watson. The team spent significant capital on adding three new receivers and maintaining the highly-regarded offensive line.
Overlooked, however, are the Browns tight ends. Much of Watson’s anticipated development will come from these big targets over the middle. Njoku, of course, stands at the top of the list and was named PFF’s 10th best tight end entering the 2023 season.
But Berry did not stop there. He continued to bolster the Browns tight ends room.
A Shrewd Addition
For just under $4 million over two seasons, Berry added former Houston Texan Jordan Akins to the Browns tight ends room.
Watson still needs to develop his chemistry with Njoku. However, he has already got several seasons under his belt with Akins.
No one is about to mistake the Watson-Akins connection for Mahomes-Kelce. However, it should be noted that Akins contributed 73 receptions for 821 yards and three touchdonws over his last two seasons catching passes from Watson.
After a brief stint with the New York Giants in 2022, the former minor league baseball player returned to the Texans. He subsequently set career numbers in all three major categories.
On his own, Akins’ signing is not all that interesting. But paired with Njoku, the Browns tight ends are given an extra depth of dimension for the new offense and the team’s franchise quarterback.
All these wide receivers, and teams still have to try and cover BOTH David Njoku and Jordan Akins.
I can’t wait.
— Grant Puskar (@grant_puskar_) March 24, 2023
Primed for Development
With such a huge focus on the passing game, the team will likely keep a third tight end and a sixth wide receiver.
The third tight end will be Harrison Bryant, the team’s fourth-round choice out of FAU three years ago. Bryant, who was Njoku’s primary backup last year, is a longer-term development candidate for the Browns. The converted offensive tackle ran a 4.73 at the combine and was compared to tight end George Kittle in his draft profile.
In 2022, Bryant set career marks with 31 receptions and 239 yards. He even added an eight-yard carry out of the backfield. Alongside this, he proved his roster value with some tackles on special teams.
There are a lot of question marks for the Browns entering the 2023 season. However, the Browns tight ends room is not one of them.
Main Photo: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
