The 2019 season was not one Browns tight end David Njoku will celebrate fondly. Injuries robbed him of all but four games, and Njoku never really fit in Freddie Kitchens’ offense.
Njoku will get a chance at redemption in his fourth season as the Browns tight end. Based on what new Cleveland GM Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski had to say about Njoku during their press conferences here in Indianapolis at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, he’ll get every chance to prove he can be a major part of the Browns offensive attack.
“David didn’t quite have the year that he anticipated this past fall,” Berry said. “But we still view David as a talented pass catcher and a guy that we expect to take a step forward in this upcoming year.”
Berry noted he was part of the management regime that drafted Njoku in the first round back in 2017 and he still sees a lot of the alluring athleticism and potential in the 23-year-old.
Stefanski echoed Berry’s thoughts on Njoku.
“I’m looking forward to working with him,” Stefanski stated. “I think there’s an obvious skill set there. There’s a reason he was drafted that high. I think you can see it just in his physical ability, and it’s a big year for David. I’ve explained that to him.”
Without getting into specifics, Stefanski laid out how important the young TE can be in 2020.
“We have big plans for (Njoku),” Stefanski said. “But it’s about, for him, coming back in the building and working and then ultimately being able to see if we can utilize him in a role that can take advantage of some of his skill set.”
Njoku caught just five passes on 10 targets, netting 41 yards and one TD. He suffered a broken wrist and a concussion in the Week 2 win over the New York Jets and never really reassimilated into the lineup.