NFL draft analyst: Miami TE David Njoku has 'All-Pro potential'
The Detroit Lions spent a first-round pick on a catch-first tight end three years ago, but NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said they'd be smart to double down on that position if David Njoku is available at No. 21 in this year's draft.
"I have a much higher grade on him than I did on (Eric) Ebron coming out, so I think he can do a lot of those things (that Ebron does), just does them at a higher level," Jeremiah said in a conference call today. "I think he’s got more potential in the blocking front, showed a little bit more want-to there."
The Lions took Ebron with the 10th pick of the 2014 draft, and the tight end has improved in his three NFL seasons. He caught a career-high 61 passes for 711 yards last year but is entering the final season of his rookie contract -- the Lions have a few weeks left to exercise his fifth-year option -- and has yet to play a full 16-game season.
Njoku played just two seasons at Miami, where he was recruited by current Lions tight ends coach Al Golden, but showed tantalizing upside in his 43-catch, 698-yard redshirt sophomore season. At the NFL combine last month, Njoku, a former high school national high jump champ, ranked among the top tight ends in the broad jump (second), vertical jump (tied for third) and 40-yard dash (eighth).
Jeremiah said he repeatedly has given Njoku to the Lions in his mock drafts because of general manager Bob Quinn's history in the New England Patriots' tight end-friendly system and because many across the league say that the Lions are showing excessive interest in tight ends.
The Lions have just one experienced tight end behind Ebron: Darren Fells, a block-first tight end who signed a one-year deal as a free agent last month.
"With Detroit, I’ve just heard from several different people around the league that they seem really dialed-in on these tight ends and are doing a lot of homework on them," Jeremiah said. "So that’s why I ended up connecting those dots with Njoku and I think, look, I think the kid, he’s got All-Pro potential. He could be a dominating player, so that’s why I’ve matched him up with Detroit on occasion here."
Note: The Lions added Payton McCollum to their coaching staff as an offensive assistant. McCollum was an offensive quality control coach at Campbell and played wide receiver at Catawba College.
Critics aside, GM Bob Quinn calls Detroit Lions' D-line a strength
Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.