National Football League

David Njoku could have a meteoric rise leading up to Draft

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:10 p.m. ET

Fansided, Sayre Bedinger/FanSided via NFL Mocks

Miami Hurricanes tight end David Njoku is extremely fun to watch, and could see a big rise up draft boards over the next couple of months…

Just a couple of weeks ago, the general public became exposed to Miami Hurricanes tight end David Njoku, a redshirt sophomore who decided to declare early for the NFL Draft. Of course when someone like Njoku declares for the draft, everyone’s heads turn because in the case of many redshirt sophomores, you don’t really expect them to leave.

Since Njoku decided to make himself eligible for the class of 2017, scouts and analysts have started digging deeper on him, and are loving what they’ve found.

As a sophomore in 2016, Njoku averaged over 16 yards per reception with 43 catches for 698 yards and eight scores. In his first two seasons with Miami, Njoku proved that — if nothing else — he is a big play waiting to happen, averaging roughly 17 yards per catch over the course of those two seasons.

His upside at the next level is intriguing, to say the least.

ESPN NFL Draft analyst and lead scout Todd McShay has Njoku ranked as the 13th overall player in the class of 2017, and that’s before Njoku is expected to light up the 2017 Scouting Combine and blow scouts away with his athletic ability. NFL.com scout and NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah had Njoku ranked 13th on his initial big board as well, and it seems the only way for him to go at this point is up.

Not everyone has been late to the party on Njoku, however, as this excellent piece by Kyle Crabbs of NDT scouting debuted in early December…

Recently, Eric Robinson projected Njoku to the Denver Broncos with the 20th overall pick in the 1st round of the draft:

Bored? Take a look at my 1st round mock, voice your displeasure in my mentions, & develop a deep dislike for my work. ???????? https://t.co/etTIT821LB

— Eric Robinson (@ERobinsonRSEN) January 19, 2017

Clearly, his legend is rising quickly. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Njoku selected within the top 20 picks of this year’s draft. His playmaking skills and elite athleticism at the tight end position are rare. This is as exciting of a young prospect as it gets.