The Cleveland Browns turned some heads when they selected tight end Harold Fannin Jr. in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, as they already had veteran David Njoku manning the position.
Through six weeks of the season, it’s clear why the Browns were so high on Fannin.
The rookie carved out a role right out of the gate, which is something not often seen from a 21-year-old tight end, and he is already among the league leaders in one impressive stat.
Fannin leads all tight ends in tackles avoided with 15, according to Ian Hartitz.
Most tackles avoided this season (PFF):
QB: Baker Mayfield (14)
RB: Bijan Robinson (39)
WR: Deebo Samuel (14)
TE: Harold Fannin (15)— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) October 16, 2025
When Fannin was drafted, his calling card was his exceptional receiving ability, evidenced by his single-season records for a tight end: 117 catches for 1,555 yards at Bowling Green.
However, his ability to make defenders miss wasn’t believed to be a major strength.
He has the size and the shiftiness to break tackles, which has been a pleasant surprise to many who believed he’d serve as a de facto slot receiver who wouldn’t do much with the ball after catching it.
It’s looking more likely that Njoku will be traded before the deadline, with the Browns far from playoff contention and him about to become a free agent.
If that happens, Fannin will become an even bigger part of the game plan.
There isn’t a lot for this fan base to get excited about right now, but Fannin’s development is at the top of that list.
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