One of the most surprising developments of Week 1 was the play and usage of rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. A third-round pick out of Bowling Green, the expectation was that Fannin would play behind David Njoku and be a part-time player in the offense, functioning as the No. 2 tight end and H-back. But that wasn’t the case at all in Week 1.
Not only did Fannin have a significant role in the offense, but he also led the team in targets with nine. He caught seven passes for 63 yards and was tied with Jerry Jeudy for the most yards from scrimmage (66). The Browns even gave him a carry as a Wildcat quarterback, which goes to show how much they believe in their rookie tight end already.
Fannin’s NFL Debut Was Shocking
The tight end position has historically been a spot where young players struggle. For decades, only one tight end (Mike Ditka) reached 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. Kyle Pitts was the second to surpass that total, but it took him 17 games to do so, and he barely accomplished it despite essentially being a wide receiver.
There is just a lot that goes into being a productive NFL tight end, and it’s why very few rookies have a significant impact right away. And almost none of them get the type of workload that Fannin received in Week 1. But that’s where Fannin’s NFL debut stands out.
Fannin totaled eight touches in his first NFL game, which is the second-most of all time, according to Pro Football Reference. The only player in NFL history to have more was Keith McKellar of the Buffalo Bills during the 1987 season. But unlike Fannin, McKellar’s nine-touch debut happened in Week 6 during the final week of NFL strike (with "scab" players). It’s also worth mentioning that McKellar was later reclassified as a “wide receiver” during the 1989 season, which makes his inclusion on this list a bit suspect.
But that’s not really the point of this article. Instead, it’s to show that Fannin’s usage and production are unheard of for a rookie tight end. His eight targets were tied for the fourth-most ever for a rookie tight end in their debut, and his seven receptions ranked third. And while the Browns ultimately didn’t do enough on offense and didn’t win the game, it sure seems like Fannin is going to be a key cog in this unit and not some part-time player.
The Browns want to run more of a Kevin Stefanski-style offense this year, and that means more two-tight-end looks. And with Njoku as the established starter and Fannin locked in as the new shiny toy, we should expect more games with Fannin approaching double-digit touches. The Browns are going to scheme up touches for him because they believe he’s one of their best offensive players. And based on what we saw in Week 1, it’s hard to disagree.