Tight Ends Driving Force of Browns Passing Offense
Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will likely not play another snap for the Cleveland Browns, meaning this tight end group once again becomes the life-blood of the passing offense.
Tight ends have always been a crucial part of head coach Kevin Stefanski's offense, but Beckham was always the default top option. With Beckham out of the picture, expect to see Cleveland utilize their three tight ends much more.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield has always had an affinity for finding tight ends dating back to his days at Oklahoma with Mark Andrews. He has developed a reliable connection with all three of the Cleveland tight ends, and at times those connections have taken over games.
Tight end David Njoku leads the team in all major receiving stats and has gone missing at times this season, which should illustrate how well tight ends produce in this system. Cleveland is one of the only NFL teams that design screens for their tight ends, mainly because they believe in what they have.
Njoku has established himself as the top tight end on the team and may have played his way into an extension this offseason. His catch radius and athleticism make him the perfect downfield target for Mayfield.
Baker loves to rip the ball downfield into tight spots, and Njoku has the hands and strength to pluck the ball out of the sky against smaller defenders. The two have a strong connection and read each other well, something that has proved vital for Mayfield.
Tight end Austin Hooper hasn't produced as much as expected since he signed a record deal for the position in the summer of 2020. With that being said, he is still a playmaker that creates yardage after the catch in the screen game.
There should be a definite uptick in volume for Hooper in the coming weeks. Stefanski scripts a few plays every game for him to get involved, and in Beckham's absence, he should see even more.
Hooper may not be the same vertical threat as Njoku, but he brings his unique spin to the offense. The two play well together when on the field, and the Browns are among the league leaders in multi-tight end sets.
The forgotten man in the offense this season has been tight end Harrison Bryant. He has just nine catches on the season, and his yards per catch is down from 13.0 a year ago to 9.9 this year.
Bryant is finding ways to get open and creates separation well; Mayfield just hasn't been able to find him this season. That should change in the coming weeks, as Bryant routinely kick-started the offense in 2020.
He was one of the best young tight ends in football last season and made a few splash plays that left a lasting impression. Again, Beckham's absence will cause an uptick in production for Bryant. Stefanski will find ways to involve these tight ends in the game actively.
The Browns feel they have struck gold at the position. They have three players who do their jobs well but, most importantly, do their jobs differently. They need this group to come alive to make the offense less predictable, which was a big issue a year ago.
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