The Cleveland Browns may not win many more games this season, but the campaign wasn’t a waste. This team found several foundational pieces and building blocks for the future, including rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. The rookie out of Bowling Green has turned plenty of heads in his first season in the league.
As shown by Heath Cummings on X, he’s been one of the best players in his position in the entire league, and not just among first-year players:
“TEs with at least 20% of their team’s total targets, receptions, receiving yards, & receiving touchdowns: Trey McBride, Kyle Pitts, Harold Fannin, Tyler Warren,” Cummings posted on X.
TEs with at least 20% of their team's total targets, receptions, receiving yards, & receiving touchdowns:
Trey McBride
Kyle Pitts
Harold Fannin
Tyler Warren— Heath Cummings (@heathcummingssr) December 23, 2025
Fannin’s college tape was mesmerizing. He set many records in college, but scouts still looked past him because of his weak opposition. Even so, just like players like Shannon Sharpe had proved in the past, it’s not just about who you go against.
The Browns loved what they saw from him from the second he set foot in Cleveland. Even with a proven veteran like David Njoku by his side, they still chose to give him a big workload right out of the gate, and he was up to the task. Now, with Njoku set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, the Browns would be wise to evaluate all their options.
Njoku has openly admitted his desire to stay in Cleveland, but with so many other positions to address and a rising star like Fannin only set to get better, perhaps letting Njoku walk away in free agency might not be the worst idea for GM Andrew Berry.
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