Cleveland Browns starting tight end David Njoku has come a long way since being drafted in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at only 21 years old. He has gone from a disappointing first-round pick (according to a lot of Browns fans) to wanting out of Cleveland, to turning into a productive all-around tight end.
So what about Njoku screams breakout year?
Veteran mind with same skill/talent
Njoku is still the talent-laden player that was taken in the first round. He has done nothing but put up better numbers and improve his craft over the last six years in the league. At still only 27 years old he now has the veteran mind to go with his speed and athletic ability. He's a skilled route runner and knows when to break off and help his quarterback.
Now let's break a few myths about Njoku.
The first myth we are breaking is that he has issues with drops. Per Pro Football Reference, Njoku has a catch percentage of 64.4 in his career. Last year was his career-best at 72.5 percent.
Travis Kelce had a catch percentage of 72.4 last season and 71 for his career. Njoku is not far off that total while trending in the right direction. Amari Cooper had a catch percentage of 59.1 last season and 62.6 for his career. The point here is that Njoku doesn't have a problem with drops.
The second myth is he can't block.
Njoku is not the great blocker some try to make him out to be, but he's also not a horrible blocker either. He's a receiving tight end that can do enough in the run game to stay on the field for 83.5 percent of the snap counts last year per Player Profile. Njoku will never light the world on fire blocking and with the line we have we don't need him to. He needs to be the weapon that his talent tantalizes us with.
New offensive scheme
Based on everything we hear from Berea, the 2023 offense will be a high-flying affair. If that's the case, it is a perfect fit for David Njoku to have a career-high in targets, which leads to career highs across the board.
The Browns look like a team putting its money where its mouth is, as they have added a few receiving weapons this offseason. One of those new weapons could put a little damper on Njoku's numbers.
Andrew Berry signed Jordan Akins to add depth to a room that needed it with Njoku's injury history. Could having Akins hurt Njoku's target number? Sure. Will it? No. If they are throwing as much as expected this season, they will want to use the most talented weapons, and Njoku is near the top of that list.
What Akins helps with is giving coach Kevin Stefanski the ability to get creative with matchups. You can use Njoku anywhere on the field now, and we all know mismatches are the name of the game in the NFL.
Now you could see him in the slot or out wide or anywhere that takes advantage of his skillset. That also takes the pressure off him to be a blocker making him even more valuable in a pass-first offense.
Njoku has proven he is capable. He has proven that he works hard to get better. Now he has an offense capable of taking advantage of his physical gifts.
It's easy to see Njoku put up 75-plus catches and over 1,000 yards. It could also mean better red zone numbers for both Njoku and the offense as a whole. He did lead them in red zone targets last season.
When talking about this new and upgraded passing attack, everyone seems to gloss over David Njoku
— Mac🦬 (@tha_buffalo) August 21, 2023
Friendly reminder he was 2nd among TEs last year with redzone receptions (12) #DawgPound
pic.twitter.com/l2V7Tv0xLh
Deshaun Watson
The final piece to the puzzle is having a legit quarterback throw him the ball. The best quarterback to play with Njoku so far is Baker Mayfield.
While Mayfield will always have a spot in many fans' hearts, he's not Deshaun Watson. The last time Watson was the focal point of a pass-first attack for an entire season, he led the NFL with over 4,800 passing yards and 8.9 yards per attempt.
Even adding last season's six-game season into his overall career, Watson has averaged 22 touchdowns and 3,128 yards per season. He has completed 67 percent of his passes and has an interception rate of 2.1 for his career.
Another stat that Pro Football Reference uses is yards after completion. Watson's average over his five years in the NFL is 12.2. He puts the ball where it needs to be for his guys to make plays. David Njoku has been making plays with much less.
It's time for Stefanski and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt to put the pedal down. This offense has a Ferrari throwing to Ferrari's finally, so taking advantage of that is paramount. It is time to see some shots down the seam and some back-of-the-end-zone passes. All things that Njoku thrives on.
With an offense built to pass and a quarterback with the talent to be top-five in the NFL, all the stars have aligned for Njoku. All he needs to do is stay on the field and be the player he has been for the last few years. If he can do that, there is no telling how high the bar can go in 2023.