The Cleveland Browns are going to have to make a decision when it comes to their plans and the future of tight end David Njoku.
Is David Njoku a part of the future for the Cleveland Browns? Nobody seems to know. Njoku has been a healthy scratch for two straight games despite appearing in Week 14. His status is unknown for Week 17 and that could also apply to his future with the team.
Coming out of the draft, David Njoku was considered raw. The rawness of Njoku was accepted due to the high upside and youth. Three years later he is still raw and leaves a lot to be desired. Is he a talented athlete? Absolutely, but being an athlete can only carry him so far. There are still some areas which Njoku is lacking in which could impact his longterm status in Cleveland.
Catch percentage and run blocking are lacking
One area is catch percentage. In 16 games last year Njoku caught 63.6% of his targets. This number is less than some of the better tight ends in the NFL this season. In fact, in would rank 34th this season. That is not necessarily a ringing endorsement in this particular area.
A part of his game that does not discussed enough is blocking. David Njoku is not a good blocker and that is a problem. Rob Gronkowski was considered one, if not the greatest tight end ever not only because he was an elite pass catcher, but because he was an excellent blocker. Currently George Kittle is considered one of the best tight ends in the league because he also excels in both areas. If a tight end is unable to block, he is not a tight end, he is a big bodied receiver. This describes David Njoku.
David Njoku is still young and can improve, but how much? Cleveland has to make a decision about his future with the team. With how the roster is currently constructed and assumed roster moves (Rashard Higgins), Cleveland could use another receiver. That is if they acquire an actual tight end. If not, Njoku could be just another player the Browns move on from.
