Ranking the tight end units in the AFC North ahead of 2024 NFL season

2. Cleveland Browns - David Njoku, Jordan Akins, Giovannni Ricci

Although the Browns, like the Steelers, don't have great depth at the tight end room, they can boast having the second-best tight end in the division and a borderline top-ten tight end in the league as a whole which earns them the number 2 spot in this ranking. David Njoku has been flying under the radar for several years, putting together some very solid seasons on some underwhelming Cleveland teams.

That was up until last year. Putting together a true breakout year, Njoku set career highs in every major metric in 2023, with 81 receptions (+23 over his previous best), 882 yards (+249), and 6 touchdowns (+2). After such a great season, Njoku seems to have finally caught the rest of the league's eyes and has definitevly cemented himself as the 2nd-best tight end in the AFC North.

Behind Njoku is Jordan Akins, who didn't produce much during the 2023 season. Though, to be fair, he didn't get all too many opportunities either, as starter Njoku remained remarkably healthy throughout the year, starting in 16 of 17 games. Still, even with limited snaps, Akins ended up catching 15 passes for 132 yards, and accounted for 6 first downs.

Then, to round out the tight end room, Giovanni Ricci is listed at TE3. In his three-year career, Ricci has caught 9 passes for 102 yards. He hasn't seen the field on offense much in the pros, though neither did Tanner Hudson up until last year, so he could still prove to be a solid player when his name is called, whenever/if that happens.