The Cleveland Browns need a lot of improvements on the offense in 2020 and one of the biggest problem positions happens to be the tight ends.
Everyone knows the Cleveland Browns need help on the offensive line, but what most people fail to realize is that the Browns really need help all over the offense. For most of the season, the Browns were a four-player offense. The offense was so tied to Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., and Nick Chubb that those three players alone accounted for 63% of the offensive yards gained.
All of the tight ends combined were only targeted 73 times, with 44 receptions for a whopping 497 yards. They didn’t show up at all last year and considering for half the year the team didn’t have a second running back to spell Chubb, nor any slot receivers, the team was overly dependent on four guys to move the chains. It’s no wonder why Baker Mayfield struggled. He had to force throws to one of two men the entire season.
If you’re supposed to have this killer offense, it helps if you can actually convince the defense you’re not just going to hand the ball to Chubb or throw it to Beckham or Landry. Part of improving the offense and in turn Mayfield’s play and the production of the star wide-outs will be to get a reliable tight end. Keyword, reliable. People can go on and on and on about David Njoku’s “potential” but the only thing potential ever does is get people fired.
Njoku for one reason or another can’t stay on the field, and that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon. Njoku only had the 600+ yards that he had in 2018 because there wasn’t a concerted effort to involve Landry and Beckham hadn’t joined the team yet. Njoku was the second most targeted player. He could very well come out and wreck the league in year four, but what are the odds of that?
There doesn’t appear to be a definitive first-round tight end pick in 2020, so it’s entirely possible that the three best options could all be waiting for them in the second round. Despite that, there will still be a 4th or 5th round option on this list. So with that, let’s dive into the options.
TE Cole Kmet (Notre Dame)
The draft evaluation process is always a crapshoot. Some Draft analysts like Fansided’s Nicholas Price have Cole Kmet as the best tight end in the draft, but other outlets like DraftTeck have him as the fourth-best and the 114th overall prospect. Most pundits do have Kmet as the top guy in the group, but they also have him slated as a second-round pick in just all of the evaluations. CBS has him at 39th overall, while WalterFootball.com has Kmet going in the 2nd round to the Green Bay Packers. The Browns could easily take a lineman in the first, and then go get Kmet in the second.
Kmet’s not as polished as other prospects but he can stretch the field and can develop as a blocker. He’s a big guy at 6’5 and 250 pounds, and if he can continue to show his athleticism at the combine, he could show the world that he’s exactly what the Browns need. Njoku for all of his attributes gets rocked on the line when he has to stay in and block. Hopefully, Kmet can do what Browns tight ends can’t and play both aspects of the position.
He put up impressive numbers in just ten games at Notre Dame during his Junior season. According to Sports Illustrated Kmet had the fifth-best single-season receptions mark and sixth-best single-season receiving yards for a Notre Dame tight end. Kmet caught 43 passes for 515 yards and six touchdowns.
His draft position will be determined more by his combine showing than anything else. Some pundits have Kmet going to New England in the first, and others as mentioned above, have him going late in the second. Kmet could be an unexpected mid-round game-changer if he falls that far.
TE Brycen Hopkins (Purdue)
The DraftNetwork has Brycen Hopkins as the top-rated tight end, but again, all of these draft prospects sites rank players vastly different from everyone else. Hopkins is described as being efficient as a route runner. He’s got enough speed to give fits to linebackers and has the size to be a valid red-zone receiver. All of this despite not really having many opportunities to score in the red zone at Purdue.
Hopkins is described as being lean, and some experts believe he may have a hard time getting off the line against more aggressive defensive ends. The more concerning evaluation comes from Benjamin Solak, who describes his pass-catching ability as “inconsistent”. Further expanding on his problematic double-catch and re-grip tendencies to secure the catch at the point. He also talks about how his technique is unimpressive, meaning that he won’t be a reliable pass option in his rookie year (if ever).
He is considered someone who can make big plays, however, making some modern fans worry if he’s the Quincy Morgan of modern-day tight ends. If Hopkins can put on some weight, and increase his strength he might be a viable blocker in some situations but as far as run blocking goes he’s not the best candidate for the job.
That said, a lot of evaluations don’t always pan out and often times players can improve their skills when they transition from college to the pros. He’s got great potential but again, potential is only good enough to get people fired. Hopkins is worth a look in the 4th or 5th rounds.
TE Colby Parkinson (Stanford)
Arguably the best blocker at the position is Stanford’s, Colby Parkinson. Parkinson will be a late draft pick if he’s selected at all. Not as dynamic as the others on this list as a pass-catcher but as far as consistency at all facets of the position, he’s arguably the best. According to the Draft Network’s Drae Harris, Parkinson has shown “good football IQ”. It may not be the sexiest of stats or praise but smart football players can be just as efficient and effective as any ultra-athletic tight end in a draft as they’re not relying solely on physical attributes as many others seem to do.
What the team needs is a difference-maker from the edge of the line, both as a receiver and as a blocker. If the team does carry two or three active tight ends at all times, then a player like Parksinosn could be perfect as a second tight end on the roster. He’s credited with having good hands and good blocking technique but stumbles a bit with route running and getting leverage on smaller ends.
The biggest clearing error according to numerous analysts is his point of contact with the defense. While he can cut off linebackers or plow safeties, it’s getting to and keeping the defensive ends in front of him that he has issues with. As he’s often so much taller than then ends, they can get under his pads and control his leverage, negating his efficacy as a blocker. That said, he’s described as having a “good catch radius” and with his solid hands would make him a great tight end in the red zone. If he can improve his pass blocking skills, then the Browns will have a true threat that can be had in the late rounds.