David Njoku: He’s more than just a dangerous receiving threat

Njoku has proven himself as a pass-catcher, but he’s also excellent in another area on the field

The Cleveland Browns undoubtedly have one of the league’s top tight ends in David Njoku, and it’s not only due to his dominance as a pass catcher.

One of his more underrated on-field attributes has been his blocking ability and, more specifically, his pass-blocking prowess. It’s not a trait that’s typically talked about a lot when referring to tight ends but it’s a vital aspect of what they do based on the offensive scheme and gameplan.

It’s no secret that the Browns were decimated by injuries on the offensive line in 2023, with the biggest “hit” coming at offensive tackle. Kevin Stefanski and the rest of the offensive staff had to figure out a way to help Geron Christian and James Hudson III deal with some of the more elite edge rushers down the stretch. They were successfully able to assist these offensive tackles by using David Njoku in various ways such as chipping, pulling, and straight-up man-blocking at the line of scrimmage.

Stefanski did a great job of pulling Njoku on play-action to not only help reinforce and influence the defense into believing that it was a run play, but to give Njoku better angles to attack edge players.

He has an average PFF pass-blocking grade of 73.4 since the 2020 season, with a 93.5% success rate according to SIS advanced metrics.

Njoku took an enormous step forward as a pass catcher in 2023, and that’s exciting but being able to consistently contribute as a blocker as well is what makes him one of the best in the game.

Do David Njoku’s official pass-blocking grades and statistics surprise you? Join fellow Browns fans in the comment section below.