The Cleveland Browns are about to have an almost completely new offense in the 2026 NFL season. However, there is at least one returning player they can count on.
After rebuilding the entire offensive line through veteran acquisitions and the 2026 NFL Draft, and adding two rookie wide receivers among their top three picks, the revamped unit will look very different under new head coach Todd Monken and first-time coordinator Travis Switzer. Depending on who the quarterback is, the Browns’ offense could have as many as nine new starters this year.
One of the two returning starters will be tight end Harold Fannin Jr. Even though he led the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns last season as a rookie, he may not be as well-known around the league as he deserves.
That is why Bleacher Report analyst Brent Sobleski has revealed Fannin as the Browns’ best-kept secret ahead of their upcoming organized team activities (OTAs).
“Harold Fannin Jr. had the unfortunate luck of being in the same draft class as Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren. The situation doesn’t detract from how talented Fannin is. Last season, Fannin ranked second among rookie tight ends with 72 receptions and 731 receiving yards—eighth among all tight ends, respectively. His six touchdown grabs tied for the most. With David Njoku’s departure in free agency, Fannin’s role will only increase during his second season,” Sobleski wrote.
Fannin was a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, after Loveland and Warren were taken in the first round by the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts, respectively. Fannin is certainly no secret to the Browns’ new coaching staff, as Monken has compared him to Las Vegas Raiders star Brock Bowers, who was the tight end at the University of Georgia when Monken was the offensive coordinator on back-to-back national championship teams.
Also, analyst Lance Reisland has named Fannin as the potential “centerpiece” of Cleveland’s offense this season, at least until the rest of the unit, including rookie wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, find their footing in the league. The Browns are likely to rely heavily on the other returning starter, running back Quinshon Judkins, as long as he is fully recovered from a leg injury that ended his rookie season just shy of 1,000 yards.
It should be noted that Fannin had some of his best games of the season after Shedeur Sanders became the Browns’ starting quarterback in Week 12. In Weeks 14 and 15, Fannin combined for 15 catches for 162 yards and one touchdown on 25 targets.
If he can find that sort of chemistry with Deshaun Watson as well, Fannin could be on his way to his first Pro Bowl season.
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