Njoku and Charlie Kolar both started Thursday's preseason game against San Francisco. Njoku finished with no targets on five snaps.
They're also listed as co-starters on the preseason depth chart, ahead of pass-catching specialist Oronde Gadsden. It's no secret that offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel puts a premium on TE blocking, and while Njoku has never been considered a standout in that regard, he's at least got a leg up on Gadsden. We'll still need to wait for the regular season to truly understand how McDaniel wants to deploy his tight ends (and FB Alec Ingold).