Cleveland Browns: 4 TEs to target in free agency, NFL draft in 2020

1. Austin Hooper, UFA, Falcons

Pro Football Focus grades Austin Hooper as the fifth best tight end in the 2019 season and the former third-round pick is set to hit free agency this offseason.

Through Week 13, Hooper caught 56 balls for 608 yards for and six touchdowns. His numbers are pretty consistent, although his touchdown total marks a career high.

It’s a surprise the Falcons, who look poised for some major re-tooling/re-building didn’t deal Hooper before the Oct. 31 trade deadline.

He didn’t particularly grade out well as run blocker, but his 6-foot-4, 253-pound frame was made to be a big target, and that’s something the Browns have desperately lacked all season.

Would David Njoku have made THE difference for the Browns offense? It’s hard to say. That said, Mayfield seems to love targeting tight ends when he’s near the goal line and he’s just not getting any help.

Most recently, Demetrius Harris dropped what could’ve been an important touchdown against the Steelers. Harris came down with the ball ,but the force of landing on the grass slammed the ball out of his hands.

Undoubtedly, it was a tough catch to make. None-the-less, the Browns really needed it.

Hooper was taken in the same draft, albeit one round ahead of former Brown Seth DeValve. Injuries derailed DeValve’s career with Cleveland, but he’s landed in Jacksonville where he played nine games, catching six passes for 68 yards.