The counterpart to the Hayden Hurst item run over the weekend is how Atlanta's former tight end, Austin Hooper, might fare in his new home. Can a top-10 tight end with Matt Ryan the last two years be similarly productive in Cleveland?
Hooper himself is certainly capable, but there are a couple of things working against him. The Baker Mayfield passing offense isn't going to be as productive as Matt Ryan's in Atlanta. He'll be competing with some capable wide receivers (also the case in Atlanta, at least), including Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry.
Cleveland also has more competition at the tight end position. David Njoku is a former first-round pick and he's still around. They used their fourth-round pick this year on Harrison Bryant, who's primarily a pass catcher (he weighs 243 pounds). Stephen Carlson and Pharaoh Brown are also around, though less likely to be factors.
On Hooper's behalf, it's an offense that has had some significant fantasy tight ends over the years. The Browns, believe it or not, have had four different top-10 tight ends in the last decade alone. (Listed in bold.)
| TOP BROWNS TIGHT ENDS, 2010-PRESENT | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Tgt | No | Yds | Avg | TD | FFRk |
| 2019 | Ricky Seals-Jones | 22 | 14 | 229 | 16.4 | 4 | 41 |
| 2018 | David Njoku | 88 | 56 | 639 | 11.4 | 4 | 9 |
| 2017 | David Njoku | 60 | 32 | 386 | 12.1 | 4 | 24 |
| 2016 | Gary Barnidge | 82 | 55 | 612 | 11.1 | 2 | 19 |
| 2015 | Gary Barnidge | 125 | 79 | 1043 | 13.2 | 9 | 4 |
| 2014 | Jordan Cameron | 48 | 24 | 424 | 17.7 | 2 | 27 |
| 2013 | Jordan Cameron | 118 | 80 | 917 | 11.5 | 7 | 5 |
| 2012 | Benjamin Watson | 82 | 49 | 501 | 10.2 | 3 | 24 |
| 2011 | Evan Moore | 46 | 34 | 324 | 9.5 | 4 | 28 |
| 2010 | Benjamin Watson | 102 | 68 | 763 | 11.2 | 3 | 9 |
It would be nice if the team were to suddenly trade Njoku. There have been rumors about that floating around for a while, although nothing has come to pass. Maybe if Bryant looks good in whatever passes for a preseason this year, something will happen along those lines.
Presuming he's back, though, that will likely be a drag on Hooper's value. But it's at least a team that's used the tight end in the passing game plenty over the past decade. I think Hooper will be overdrafted, but that doesn't mean he won't be a productive player.
--Andy Richardson