David Njoku Fantasy News and Statistics

During his younger days as a high school athlete in New Jersey, David Njoku was a standout football player as well as a gifted track runner. He ultimately ended up pursuing a career on the gridiron as a member of the Miami Hurricanes, and his success in Coral Gables led to him eventually landing with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns.

He was not an impact player right away with the ‘Canes, though. During the 2014 season, Njoku redshirted, so he did not see any on-field action. Miami had a highly experienced corps of pass catchers, but Phillip Dorsett, Clive Walford and Duke Johnson were all in their final season with the team.

A year later, Njoku was able to find a key role in the team’s offense and become a serviceable tight end despite being behind some more experienced players such as Rashawn Scott, Stacy Coley and Herb Waters—all of whom would cut into his targets.

Although he did not end up having any 100-yard games as a redshirt freshman, he was still a valuable asset to the team. He finished the 2015 season with 21 catches for 362 yards and a touchdown. A year later, he was more experienced and able to step up his game as the ‘Canes gave him a bigger opportunity to shine.

With Scott and Waters no longer on the team, Njoku was able to earn more playing time and develop into a formidable NFL draft prospect. Still, he was not his team’s No. 1 target. UM had Coley as well as one of the best wide receiver recruits in the country, Ahmmon Richards. This left Njoku as the team’s third-most targeted option. With young gunslinger Brad Kaaya throwing on a fairly regular basis, however, Njoku was able to enjoy a successful 2016 campaign.

The ‘Canes enjoyed a successful season, which ended with a bid to the Russell Athletic Bowl. Njoku’s best game of the year came against Duke in late November when he made a pair of catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns. He completed the season with 43 catches for 698 yards (16.2 yards per grab) and eight touchdowns. Following that campaign, he decided to forgo his last two years of eligibility and enter the 2017 NFL Draft. The Cleveland Browns picked him up late in the first round (No. 29 overall).

Since he was a first-round draft pick, he was able to establish himself as the Browns starting tight end as a rookie. Still, Cleveland entered 2017 with some other young and talented receiving options like Duke Johnson and Ricardo Louis, who were ahead of Njoku when it came to targets.

Another major problem Njoku faced in his rookie campaign was playing for a bottom-feeding NFL club. The quarterback situation for the Browns in 2017 certainly was not ideal, as the team went through DeShone Kizer, Kevin Hogan and Cody Kessler.

However, as he grows and develops as a football player, Njoku could potentially be a valuable fantasy option. It would certainly also help if he played for a team with a half-decent quarterback.