ADP Deep Cuts: David Njoku An Elite TE At The End Of The Draft
If you’re the type of manager who likes to wait until the end of the draft to fill out your TE position, I have just the guy for you. If you feel that paying up for the elite TEs is too expensive, or too restrictive on the rest of your draft, just wait until the end of the draft and snap up Browns TE David Njoku, who may finally be ready to deliver on his promise.
Njoku’s not a new player. He’s entering his sixth season, and spent all of them in Cleveland, so I won’t be offended if you brush off this advice as foolishness regarding a player whom “we know who he is.” I get it. He’s never caught 60 passes, drawn more than 88 targets, topped 639 yards and only once averaged more than 2.3 receptions per game. In a game where volume is king, Njoku certainly needs his efficiency. That can sometimes lead to week-killing duds, so hesitancy is understood and noted. With that said, there’s a lot to like about Njoku entering 2022.
He was a Top 15 TE on PFF, earning a 70.9 grade, and his 12.8% TE DVOA per Football Outsiders ranked him 11th at the position. And while Njoku has always needed to be efficient to succeed, he is very efficient! Njoku averaged nine yards per target last season, fourth most in the NFL behind Dallas Goedert, George Kittle and Kyle Pitts, and tied with Rob Gronkowski. He averaged 13.2 yards per catch, third-best in the league behind Goedert and Pitts. With such efficiency – and these numbers are consistent throughout his career – Njoku’s just screaming for more opportunity. In fact, at one point he tried to leave the Browns so he could prove his worth in a bigger role. Instead, the Browns kept him, paid him this offseason, and got rid of Austin Hooper to clear some snaps out for him.
Njoku, for all that efficiency, needs more opportunity for fantasy managers to be able to count on him and the Browns’ offseason made him a big winner. Not only is Hooper and his 61 targets gone from this offense, Cleveland has 182 vacated targets up for grabs after moving on from Hooper, Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. Of course, star WR Amari Cooper is bound to soak up a large chunk of those, but if Njoku can get the majority of Hooper’s looks he could be a lethal option if the efficiency holds. And, last but not least, Njoku’s in line for one of the biggest QB upgrades in football whenever Deshaun Watson is allowed to be on the field. And if he’s not, he’ll have Baker Mayfield, the QB responsible for all the efficient work that has us so excited about this season.
Njoku carries risk, yes, but he’s also currently the No. 154 overall pick and the No. 22 TE off the board per Fantasy Pros. That’s essentially free, and he carries much more upside than the other TEs in his range. If you’re the type to punt TE on Draft Day, Njoku should be your target.