In his first season with the New England Patriots, tight end Jonnu Smith struggled to find his role in the offense. He ended up recording 28 catches for 294 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Hunter Henry received most of the action at the tight end position, as Smith was used in a lesser role.
However, Smith did manage to lead the NFL in one particularly impressive statistic. He averaged 8.5 yards after the catch per reception. Despite having 20 fewer targets than in the 2020 season, Smith was still able to make a bit of an impact when he was able to get the football.
Jonnu Smith led all Tight Ends in yards gained after the catch per reception this season (8.5) pic.twitter.com/p8u7zLrieh
— PFF NE Patriots (@PFF_Patriots) January 21, 2022
As the Patriots turn the page on the 2021 season, Smith could be in line for a bigger role offensively in 2022.
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