Unfortunately, some Cleveland Browns players don’t get the sort of respect they deserve simply because their team doesn’t get as much attention. But if analysts pay less attention to the team’s winning record, they’ll see the Browns have several young standouts who may grow into superstars.
Harold Fannin Jr. is one of them. He is coming off of an explosive rookie season, and some people believe he has some of the best hands of the 2025 draft.
Writing for PFF, Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick were ranking the top tight ends ahead of the 2026 season, and Fannin came in at No. 19.
“Fannin broke the single-season record for a collegiate tight end with 117 catches for 1,555 yards during his final season at Bowling Green in 2024. He was also very productive in his rookie campaign after being taken in the third round. Fannin’s 22 forced missed tackles were second to only Trey McBride, while his 359 yards after the catch placed seventh,” Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick wrote.
Many Browns fans believe he deserves a higher ranking than that, but they are happy to see him get some acclaim.
Meanwhile, Colston Loveland, Sam LaPorta, Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, and George Kittle rounded out the top of the list. Fannin was right behind Juwan Johnson and ahead of Pat Freiermuth.
Many rookies take time to find their footing and become comfortable on the field, but that wasn’t the case with Fannin in 2025. Instead, he got to work right away and was doing well from day one. His 731 receiving yards are impressive, but he may do even more during his second year.
Head coach Todd Monken has been known to get tight ends deeply involved in the offense, and he is surely excited to play with someone like Fannin, a young player who is motivated, growing, and at the start of his career. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him top 1,000 yards in 2026. Fannin has had a full offseason to study his tapes and work with his new coaches.
Opposing defenses will try to limit him in the new season, but there is a good chance he reaches another level and could be even higher on this list next year.
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