Harold Fannin Jr. emerging as a matchup nightmare Browns can’t ignore

Harold Fannin Jr. appears to be a heck of a selection by the Cleveland Browns from the 2025 NFL Draft. After having an incredible 2024 breakout campaign as a junior at Bowling Green, Fannin has gotten better and better for Cleveland. 

The rookie tight end has proven to be one of the Browns’ top performers, even with Cleveland’s shuffling of quarterbacks. Fannin had a few rough drops early in the year, but he’s cleaned that up and has established himself as a crucial target to watch the rest of the season, and in years ahead.

Now-former Browns quarterback Joe Flacco went to Fannin early in the season, and rookie Dillon Gabriel had nice rapport with him, as does fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders currently. 

Fannin is demonstrating how he can be a matchup issue for defenses, and it seems as if no matter who is throwing him the ball, he can find openings and he should be a viable red zone target for years to come.

As added bonus? He's showing how there’s more to be done by defenders after he’s secured those catches.

Rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. proving to be a game-changing weapon for the Browns

On the season, Fannin has posted 59 receptions for Cleveland, which has amounted to 619 yards. He’s had at least four catches on nine occasions, and is coming off an eight-catch contest in Cleveland’s 31-29 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. He tacked on a season-high 114 yards in that game, to go with an awesome touchdown catch. 

What's apparent at this juncture is, even with Cleveland’s uneven quarterback play, Fannin is more than capable of making things happen. He’s also placed himself in rarified air as it pertains to the rookie receiving ranks in Browns history. If he grabs eight more catches, he'll become Cleveland’s new rookie record-holder in receptions.

Fannin's ability to carve out more yards after his catches has made his play especially encouraging. It's been one thing to defend Fannin as a receiver, and another to get him on the ground after the catches have been made.

Fannin has racked up 619 yards as a pass catcher through 13 contests, and it's been good to see him have some targets further downfield as games have worn on from Sanders, who has shown promise. That's a trend that hopefully can continue the rest of the season, and as Fannin gets more experience and sharpens his route running.

For Fannin, though, him having 310 yards after contact from his receptions to this point has been outstanding. He's averaged 5.3 yards after the catch on his grabs this season, which has paid dividends.

Going forward, that skillset can take some pressure off of quarterbacks with how proficient Fannin is at getting through smaller or similar-sized defenders, or with him having real elusiveness. Even for a player with a 6-foot-4 and 241-pound frame, Fannin has legitimate moves with the ball in his hands, pairing a violent stiff arm and wrecking ball ability with real shake and head fakes.

As he displayed at Bowling Green, Fannin finds ways to get either through or around tacklers, and his multifaceted after-catch abilities make it so tough for defenders to get clear shots on him. His frame and athleticism can also negate angles for defenders, even when he seems unlikely to get more yards after receptions.

Now, although Cleveland needs to add more help for either Sanders, or a potential pick next year or a possible bridge veteran signal caller, it's reassuring to know Fannin is going to be an always-viable option for QBs. Quarterbacks have a 106.0 rating when targeting Fannin this season, according to Pro Football Reference; he's a safe target.

Needless to say, looking onward, it's clear Fannin is going to be a keeper. The 21-year-old tight end seems to be an emerging star, and he's just scratching the surface.