Browns' draft steal is one of the rarest offensive threats in NFL history

It’s easy to be bummed out about the Browns’ win over the Steelers in Week 17. Getting a win over Pittsburgh is always nice, but that victory caused them to drop out of the No. 1 pick race and they are now occupying the No. 7 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft going into the final week of the season.

For a season that has been so tough to watch, not earning a top five selection feels like a punch to the stomach.

However, there is still a lot to be excited about with the Browns moving forward. Carson Schwesinger feels like a lock to be the Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Mason Graham has shown flashes of brilliance. But the one player who has outperformed all expectations is Harold Fannin Jr, who has become the best weapon in the passing game by a wide margin. And he is doing something as a rookie that very few tight ends have ever done to start their career.

Harold Fannin Jr. is having a historic season for the Browns

Fannin reaggregated a groin injury in the team’s Week 17 win over the Steelers, but it happened on one of the better plays of the season for him. On a poorly thrown ball by Shedeur Sanders, he made a beautiful adjustment near the pylon to score Cleveland’s only touchdown of the afternoon. It seems unlikely that he’ll play against the Bengals in Week 18, which means he’ll finish the season with 731 receiving yards.

While that number doesn’t seem crazy, it’s important to put that into context. It’s the ninth-most all-time among rookie tight ends. And it’s vital to remember that he didn’t even open the season as a full-time starter given that David Njoku was still playing a bunch of snaps in the first two months of the season.

But that’s not the only number worth considering when it comes to Fannin. He has scored six touchdowns this season, which is tied for the 12th-most ever for a rookie tight end. And if you look at all of the rookie tight ends in NFL history with 700 or more yards and six or more receiving TDs, you get a list of only five tight ends:

Njoku is a free agent during the 2026 offseason and at one point, it seemed like a lock that the Browns would bring him back. He’s been a consistent part of the passing offense for the last several years. But that viewpoint has certainly changed. Fannin has completely replaced him in the offense and it would be wise for the Browns to lean into their young tight end.

Fannin’s rookie season has been incredibly productive, and it’s pretty unique. In what looks like one of the best tight end classes in recent memory, the Browns stole Fannin in the third round.

There haven’t been many wins for Cleveland this year, but picking the former Bowling Green star was one of the best moves of the year for the Browns.