What You Need To Know:

• Hooper set career highs last year in catches, yards and TDs last year, despite missing 3 games with an MCL sprain.
• The Browns signed Hooper to a huge free agent deal that makes him one of the league’s highest paid TEs.
• Vikings TEs combined for 105 targets in 2019 under new Browns HC Kevin Stefanski, although Hooper will share the load with David Njoku.

Hooper delivers again

Volume was the name of the game for Hooper in 2019.

He garnered 97 targets —6th most among TE. He responded by finishing 6th in PPR scoring, despite missing 3 games. Those absences stemmed from an MCL sprain and marked Hooper’s first missed action since 2016.

As usual, there wasn’t much flashy here. He went without a 40-yard catch for the 2nd straight season and averaged a ho hum 10.5 yards per grab. His average depth of target was just 6.5 yards.

The 25-year-old did rank a respectable 10th in Pro Football Focus’ yards per route run among 27 TEs with 50+ targets.

2020 will bring change for Hooper, who’ll catch passes from a much less established QB on an offense that won’t be as pass heavy.

Moving north

The Browns inked Hooper to a 4-year deal worth $44 million. It makes him one of the league’s highest paid TEs.

That the Browns retained David Njoku and still signed Hooper to big money says something about their plans. Njoku missed most of 2019 due to injury but brings the athleticism and upside to handle a full-time gig.

New HC Kevin Stefanski comes from Minnesota after just 1 year as OC. In 2019, his unit saw Kyle Rudolph handle 77.4% of the snaps, while rookie Irv Smith stood at nearly 60%. Hooper’s the clear lead TE here, but with Cleveland featuring minimal depth beyond Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham, they project to roll out plenty of 2-TE sets.

What’s critical is the development of Baker Mayfield. Per Pro Football Reference, his on-target throw percentage was 2nd worst last season.…