Cleveland Browns: 3 instant reactions to initial unofficial depth chart
By Cory Kinnan
Harrison Bryant over David Njoku at TE2
Fourth-year tight end David Njoku takes a ton of heat from Browns’ fans despite having a lower drop rate than Jarvis Landry in 2018, a season where he caught nearly 60 passes for 600 yards in Cleveland. However, in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Browns took the best player on their board in Florida Atlantic and John Mackey Award winner Harrison Bryant.
Bryant then turned around and put together a fantastic training camp in the brown and orange, winning the Maurice Bassett Award for the rookie with the best camp. While the depth chart is unofficial and may look different when it becomes official, Bryant was given the initial nod as the second tight end on the depth chart behind Austin Hooper.
Kevin Stefanski utilizes three tight ends with frequency, two tight ends more than any other offense in the NFL. Both Bryant and Njoku will see time on the field and will likely have different roles anyway. However, seeing a day-three rookie with limited athletic upside over a former first-rounder who has already had a productive NFL season is a jarring experience.
With Sunday right around the corner, this will be an interesting storyline to follow.