NFL Player News

Okwuegbunam caught all three his targets for 16 yards and one touchdown in Sunday's 27-13 win over the Giants.

Okwuegbunam also lost a fumble at the Giants' six-yard line late in the first half. The 6-foot-5, 258-pounder operated as the No. 2 tight end behind Noah Fant and was efficient with limited opportunities while playing on 56 percent of the team's offensive snaps. Okwuegbunam flashed his impressive athleticism on his one-yard touchdown as he dove for the pylon for the score. The 23-year-old already was a candidate to take a step forward in Denver's offense, so his Week 1 performance should provide the coaching staff with some confidence that he can be a weapon for the Broncos. Fantasy managers, however, should take a cautious approach with the second-year tight end, as it may be difficult for him to see consistent usage in the passing game. Okwuegbunam gets a chance to build upon this outing with a Week 2 matchup against a porous Jaguars secondary.

Johnson hauled in all three of his targets for 21 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 38-3 win over the Packers.

Johnson served as a wide receiver during his rookie year in 2020, but he transitioned to tight end during the offseason and became more involved in the offense during camp. The 25-year-old played just 12 offensive snaps Sunday, but he saw some work in the red zone during the blowout win. Although fellow tight end Adam Trautman led the team with six targets against Green Bay, Johnson made an immediate impact at his new position.

Akins did not catch either of his two targets in Sunday's 37-21 win over the Jaguars.

Akins played a surprisingly subordinate role in the passing game to Pharoah Brown, who caught four of five targets for 67 yards. The one saving grace is that both of Akins' targets were in the red zone.

Brown caught four of five targets for 67 yards in Sunday's 37-21 win over the Jaguars.

Brown had a nice run to finish out the 2020 season for Houston, but he was not expected to have a significant role in the passing game this season. He played 59 snaps (76 percent), tied Danny Amendola for second among targeted receivers and was second in receiving yards. The Week 1 performance is a surprising development for a player considered to be a blocking tight end. Jordan Akins, last season's primary receiving tight end, was targeted twice (zero catches) and played fewer snaps (47).

Graham caught one pass for 11 yards in Chicago's 34-14 loss to the Rams on Sunday.

Graham was targeted twice, but his lone reception came in the red zone, as he was stopped inside the five-yard line. Even though he played just 20 percent of the snaps, the fact he was used in the red zone indicates that he has the chance to score a touchdown in any given week, but it's unlikely he'll be a featured part of the Chicago passing attack with Cole Kmet now nearly a full-time player.

Thomas caught one of two targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 19-14 win over the Jets.

Thomas opened the third quarter with a long gain and actually played two more snaps than starter Dan Arnold, who managed just a pair of catches for six yards. Although Thomas isn't expected to be much of a factor in Carolina's passing game this season, occasional impact plays like Sunday's grab would keep him in the mix for spare looks.

Arnold caught two of three targets for six yards in Sunday's 19-14 win over the Jets.

Arnold approached Week 1 with steady praise from his initial practices as a Panther, but the offseason addition didn't make much of an impact in his regular-season debut for Carolina. In fact, backup Ian Thomas finished with more yards than Arnold, picking up 17 on his lone reception Sunday. Following an underwhelming opening performance, it'll be interesting to see whether Arnold gets more involved Week 2 versus the Saints, one of his former teams.

Bryant caught one of two targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 33-29 loss to Kansas City.

Bryant emerged as the second tight end ahead of David Njoku in 2020, but the roles were reversed in the season opener. Close watchers of the Browns' training camp and preseason were expecting this, but it became noticeable Week 1, when Njoku (35 snaps) nearly doubled the playing time of Bryant, who was on the field for 19 offensive snaps.

Njoku caught three of five targets for a team-high 76 yards in Sunday's 33-29 loss to Kansas City.

Njoku (35 snaps, 59 percent) played nearly as much as starter Austin Hooper (38, 64) and showed off his athleticism with a 43-yard reception, the second-longest among Cleveland targets. It's a promising start for Njoku, who appeared to have lost playing time to then-rookie Harrison Bryant in 2020, but he nearly doubled Bryant's 19 snaps.

Hooper caught all three targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 33-29 loss to the Chiefs.

Cleveland's reputation for a tight-end happy offense didn't disappoint Week 1, as the threesome of Hooper, David Njoku and Harrison Bryant combined for 10 targets. Hooper was targeted once in the red zone. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski talked during the preseason about expanding Hooper's role, but that did not materialize in the season opener. If anything, it was Njoku (five targets, three catches, 76 yards) who staked a claim as Cleveland's top receiving tight end.