Getty Cleveland Browns TE David Njoku
Mostly lost in the shuffle of the busy offseason for the Cleveland Browns has been tight end David Njoku.
Njoku — a physical specimen at 6-foot-4, 246 pounds with 4.6 40-yard dash speed — was taken in the first round of the 2017 by the Browns. Last year, he essentially doubled his production in the passing game from his rookie season, collecting 56 catches for 639 yards and four touchdowns. He should be in for a big season with the addition of Cleveland’s new weapon Odell Beckham Jr. opening up the defense a little more and a full offseason working with Baker Mayfield.
Njoku joined the Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday to express his goal for the upcoming season with the Browns among other things.
“Honestly speaking, I don’t really put numbers into my goals,” Njoku said. “I just feel like if I gave everything I could to the game, just worked my hardest, I feel like I’ll feel accomplished.”
He paused before delivering his half-joking, bold statement.
“With that being said, I want 20 touchdowns this year,” Njoku said. “I just feel, for me, just knowing that I gave all I got will make me feel accomplished.”
Njoku has got a long way to get to that mark, which would land him in uncharted territory. No tight end has ever caught 20 touchdowns in a season, and the only two players to ever do it were Jerry Rice in 1987, when he hauled in 22, and Randy Moss, when he caught 23 TD passes from Tom Brady with the Patriots.
Recently-retired Rob Gronkowski is the tight end that has been closest to the 20 touchdown line, hauling in 17 in 2011.
Njoku is not the first Browns pass-catcher to reveal a lofty goal. Antonio Callaway, who will likely be slotted into the No. 3 wide receiver role,
“Ten. Ten or more,” Callaway said of his goal for touchdowns. “I need goals like that to push me.”
Head coach Freddie Kitchens didn’t put a damper on that projection one bit. He encouraged Callaway — a fourth round pick out of Florida last season — to set his own expectations, rather than listening to the media.
“Yeah, I do. I think setting expectations high, for ourselves, not letting you guys do it, let us do it,” Kitchens said. “I think Antonio’s had a great spring. He’s been really, really good and I’m really excited about Antonio coming back. From a knowledge standpoint, from knowing what to do, when to do it, and then actually doing it, he’s done very well.”
As many have noted, the Browns are stacked this season on both sides of the ball, which Njoku expressed.
“We got Odell, Jarvis, (Antonio) Callaway, (Rashard) ‘Hollywood’ Higgins, me, Kareem Hunt, Nick Chubb, Duke Johnson, Baker Mayfield. That’s just the offense,” he said. “The defense is completely stacked too.”