The Cleveland Browns made a couple of big decisions with tight ends last offseason after they released Austin Hooper and signed David Njoku to a big extension. As they look for a leap out of others in 2023, they got a leap out of him this season. There were mixed reactions to the Njoku extension as many believed he had not shown enough or produced enough to warrant the extension. There was a clear change in the team’s offensive mentality after trading for Deshaun Watson it was clear they wanted to start passing the ball more.
With a more pass-first mentality on the horizon, the team opted to use more wide receivers and didn’t invest in as much depth at tight end. Overall the room produced at the top but offered little from a depth standpoint.
Let’s take a look at individual players and how they faired.
David Njoku
The start of the 2022 campaign for tight end David Njoku showed exactly why the team signed him to an extension. Before his injury that caused him to miss a few games, Njoku was producing and grading out as one of the league’s best not named Travis Kelce. It took him some time when he came back to get up to speed but overall it was a strong year.
Overall he finished with 58 catches for 628 yards and four touchdowns including 10.8 yards per reception and a passer rating of 102.7 when targeted. PFF liked his season as well giving him a 73.7 overall grade with a 78.7 receiving grade.
There were some body language concerns towards the end of the season and some missed time that hurt this grade. But overall the team should be happy with the contract and with Deshaun Watson for a whole season, the production should continue to climb.
Grade: B+
Harrison Bryant
Not a lot to say about Harrison Bryant’s season as the new tight end number two had an ok year. It wasn’t a great year and it wasn’t a bad year but you expected a little more for a player getting an elevated role. In the end, he finished with 31 catches for 239 yards and one touchdown.
Bryant struggled at times to get open against tight coverages and was just an average blocker. He had a passer rating of 95.2 but only produced 7.7 yards per catch with just 3.6 yards after reception. It wasn’t a terrible season but it is one that leads most to believe they will seek an upgrade at the position.
Grade: C-
Pharaoh Brown
The Browns couldn’t settle on a tight end three as they went through a couple but Pharoah Brown got a majority of the time. Brown did not have a good season, he struggled as a blocker and dropped two passes on his 19 targets on the season. He understood the scheme but just didn’t have the talent to make a major impact.
PFF graded Brown out with a 59.1 overall and a 58.1 receiving grade and it would be assumed he will not be retained this year. As the team shifts to a more passing focus the tight end three roles on this team will continue to shrink in the level of importance.
