The Cleveland Browns have found a true star at the tight end position. Harold Fannin Jr. has been even better than advertised, and he might be one of the team’s building blocks for years to come.
The rookie out of Bowling Green has turned plenty of heads since day one. He’s made a fool out of defenders all year long. As pointed out by Jordan Plocher on X, he’s already made history by ranking among the tight ends who have forced the most missed tackles in a single season since 2010 (21).
He has already emulated what David Njoku did in 2023, and that’s despite playing in just 14 games so far.
Right now, he trails only the likes of Aaron Hernandez, Martellus Bennett (twice), and Travis Kelce, and he still has three more games to finish the season at the top of that list.
“Most forced missed tackles in a season by a tight end, since 2010. 25-Martellus Bennett (2014), 24-Travis Kelce (2022), 23-Martellus Bennett (2013), 23-Aaron Hernandez (2011), 21-David Njoku (2023), 21-Harold Fannin Jr. (2025-14 games),” Plocher posted on X.
Most forced missed tackles in a season by a tight end, since 2010.
25-Martellus Bennett (2014)
24-Travis Kelce (2022)
23-Martellus Bennett (2013)
23-Aaron Hernandez (2011)
21-David Njoku (2023)
21-Harold Fannin Jr. (2025-14 games)— Jordan Plocher (@PFF_Jordan) December 15, 2025
Whenever you hear your name mentioned along with other legendary tight ends like that, you know you’re doing something special. Fannin is a special player, and he has all the tools to become one of the most reliable and consistent pass-catching tight ends in the game for the next decade.
The fact that he’s doing that right out of the gate and while sharing touches with David Njoku is all the more impressive. However, it’s far from a surprise, given what he was able to do at Bowling Green. Even if he didn’t face the toughest competition in college, the tape was just so impressive, and so were the numbers.
Fortunately, the rest of the league chose not to roll the dice on him, and the Browns now have a superstar in the making.
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