Ever since Todd Monken was hired as the Cleveland Browns’ head coach in January, people have looked to the Baltimore Ravens for an indication of what he might do in his new job. That stands to reason, based on the success Monken had as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator for the past three seasons.
Monken’s tenure was highlighted by a strong running game, led by Derrick Henry, with the added benefit of Lamar Jackson at quarterback. The Ravens led the NFL in almost all of the major rushing statistics during his time there.
In the passing game, Monken and the Ravens made better use of their tight ends than almost any other team as well. With Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely forming a dynamic tandem, Baltimore executed one of the more unique offenses in the league.
In Cleveland, that emphasis will be placed on second-year pro Harold Fannin Jr., who could become the centerpiece of the offense. After a very successful rookie season, when he led the Browns in receptions, yards and touchdown catches, Fannin seems to be up to that task and healthy heading into training camp.
Analyst Jay Crawford has even more optimism for Fannin’s future, giving superstar praise to the young Browns playmaker.
“I have no doubt, barring injury, Harold Fannin is going to have an unbelievable career. I believed that even before he came here on the draft. I loved him in college. You don’t lead the NCAA in yards and receptions as a tight end and not expect to translate at the next level. I have every belief that he has a long runway into superstardom in the NFL,” Crawford said.
Fannin will turn 22 years old in a couple of weeks, which means he has a long career still ahead of him. Despite a record-breaking season at Bowling Green, he lasted until the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, where Cleveland landed him at No. 67 overall.
He outperformed that status by a large margin. Even with veteran David Njoku still available and productive, Fannin had seven receptions in his NFL debut and continued to produce at a high level from there. He finished with 72 receptions for 731 yards and six TDs, earning comparisons to Hall of Famer Antonio Gates in the process.
Even with Njoku leaving as a free agent, Fannin will face more competition for targets with rookie wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston expected to be big contributors, but he could lead the team in catches again in 2026.
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