New England Patriots: 5 First Round Targets in 2017 NFL Draft
By Hunter Davis
3. David Njoku: Miami
O.J Howard is too easy of a choice. The Alabama TE might be gone before the Patriots pick at 32.
Have no fear, David Njoku is here.
With a deep tight end draft, the Patriots will be able to draft Rob Gronkowski’s “insurance”. Watching game film of his, and some Miami games, I saw that Njoku could provide the Patriots a pass catching tight end they have not seen since Aaron Hernandez.
Njoku provides another dimension to the Patriots’ offense, and is a weapon the Patriots can use in the pass game. The selection would easily give another top target for Tom Brady, and add to an already great NFL offense.
Njoku had 43 receptions for 698 yards in his Junior year, according to Sports-Reference.com. The 6’4″ tight end averaged around 16.6 yards per reception in his collegiate career, which would be 6th best in the NFL last season, according to ESPN.com
With the addition of Njoku, the Patriots can rest easy letting Martellus Bennett walk for more money in free agency, while retaining key pieces on the team.