Browns: 3 positional groups that have the most to prove this year

Tight Ends

Unlike the other two positions on this list, this one didn’t receive any help in the 2021 offseason because they were expected to be the best group on the roster. They had arguably three legitimate starters in David Njoku, Austin Hooper, and Harrison Bryant. Njoku was a first-round pick who had endless potential, while Hooper was a two-time Pro Bowler in Atlanta and Bryant was seen as the best college tight end in the country while in college.

This was not supposed to be a group that struggled.

To be fair, it’s not like they were bad. They were more disappointing. Collectively they only caught 886 yards between the three of them, while only pulling in nine touchdowns. As far as blocking goes, Stephen Carlson, the fourth tight end of the unit, was by far the best blocker of the group but as he only saw two passes thrown his way all year, he’s not exactly someone who inspires confidence.

Between the three pass-catching tight ends, they missed six games, and for the amount of money invested at the position, dramatically underperformed. Unfortunately, it’s not like they can just move on from Hooper, who’s got a pretty well-done deal. If he gets cut or traded, the Browns will still owe him a lot of money.

So seeing as how this is a reality for some time, the Browns need to get the most out of these players, because it seems unlikely they’ll make any changes to the position for a few years.