David Njoku 2021 Production
Career Contextualization
The Cleveland Browns drafted David Njoku in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft - 29th overall. The uber-athletic tight end hit the ground running as a 21-year-old rookie, catching four touchdowns in five starts to go along with an impressive 1.36 yards per route run - 14th-ranked among his fellow tight ends.
With an impressive rookie season under his belt, Njoku looked primed to take a massive step forward in Year 2 armed with Browns' 2018 No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Baker Mayfield. He did just that, finishing the season eighth in receiving yards (639) and ninth in total fantasy points at tight end.
David Njoku 2021 Production
Career Contextualization
The Cleveland Browns drafted David Njoku in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft - 29th overall. The uber-athletic tight end hit the ground running as a 21-year-old rookie, catching four touchdowns in five starts to go along with an impressive 1.36 yards per route run - 14th-ranked among his fellow tight ends.
With an impressive rookie season under his belt, Njoku looked primed to take a massive step forward in Year 2 armed with Browns' 2018 No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Baker Mayfield. He did just that, finishing the season eighth in receiving yards (639) and ninth in total fantasy points at tight end.
At just 23-years-old, Njoku was on the upward trajectory to becoming a household name in dynasty fantasy circles among tight ends. But back-to-back injury-plagued seasons combined with committee work alongside Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant made Njoku a non-factor in 2019 and 2020.
All hope looked lost for Njoku after two lost seasons, but the Browns showed confidence in him by picking up his fifth-year option before the start of the 2021 season. And Njoku did well by the Browns by flashing his top-tier playmaking ability whenever presented with the opportunity.
He set career highs in PFF grade (70.9, 10th), yards per route run (1.56, eighth), and yards after the catch per reception (7.0, first) among tight ends who commanded at least 50 targets in 2021.
Current Situation
This offseason, the Browns inked David Njoku with the franchise tag, cementing him as the team's primary pass-catching TE alongside Harrison Bryant. The Browns' heavy investment in Njoku and eventual release of Austin Hooper is extremely telling that Njoku will see a much overdue expanded role in the Cleveland offense.
Not to mention that besides Amari Cooper, there's not much of an established receiving corps behind Njoku. Carving out at least a 15 percent target share - Njoku's target share in 2018 - seems like worst-case scenario.
General Prediction for 2022 and Rest of Career
Factor in that Deshaun Watson figures to be under center for the majority of the 2022 season, and Njoku is primed for the rare sixth-year tight end breakout at just 26-years-old.
Tight ends are no strangers to later-career production based on the nuances of the position, so finishing as a top-10 option this season is easily in play for Njoku. And considering he's got the chance to be attached to Watson for the long term, top-five dynasty tight end status is not out of reach for Njoku, as he's still got so much offer with youth on his side.
The only real hurdle I could see Njoku being unable to overcome would be split snaps/routes with Bryant, as tight ends can struggle to be fantasy-relevant if they aren't playing enough - despite high-end efficiency and splash-play ability.
Njoku is dynasty TE13 per FantasyPros in-house expert consensus ranking and my personal dynasty TE12.
