Browns TE David Njoku named 'breakout candidate' for 2022 NFL season

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku put pen to paper on arguably the most curious contract given to any NFL player this offseason. 

The Browns initially used the franchise tag to retain Njoku's rights for the 2022 season, and it was then learned ahead of the Memorial Day holiday that the club had decided to give the 2017 first-round draft pick a four-year extension that could be worth up to $56.75 million and that includes $28 million guaranteed after he finished the 2021 campaign with a paltry 36 receptions for 475 yards and four touchdowns. 

"It looked like a curious set of moves at the time for a player who has averaged 459 receiving yards and four touchdowns per 17 games as a pro," ESPN's Bill Barnwell wrote for a piece published early Monday morning. "The contract's first impact was upsetting much more productive tight ends who were now making less money than him." 

However, Barnwell also named the 26-year-old among his "25 NFL breakout candidates for 2022" in the article. 

"The Browns likely plan to get more out of Njoku by simply using him more often," Barnwell added. "He was eighth in yards per route run among tight ends last season, but the Browns got him into the passing game for only about 18 routes per game. For comparison, Baltimore's Mark Andrews ran 32 routes per game. With Cleveland thin at pass-catcher after cutting Austin Hooper and Jarvis Landry, Njoku could figure into a much larger share of the passing game." 

It is worth noting, though, that making any predictions about Cleveland's offense is difficult at the moment because it's unclear when or even if quarterback Deshaun Watson will play this season. The NFL wants appeals officer and former New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey to suspend Watson for one year regarding allegations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions, but the league and NFL Players Association could potentially reach a settlement that presumably would allow the 26-year-old to make his official Browns debut at some point this fall. 

Njoku has never caught a meaningful pass thrown by either Watson or backup Jacoby Brissett, so it's unknown how the tight end will click with his new signal-caller beginning next month.