When the Cleveland Browns hired Todd Monken to be their next head coach, most people rushed to judgment on two things. First, the running game was about to go off. No. 2, buy as much Harold Fannin Jr. stock as possible.
Monken is known for getting the tight ends heavily involved in the passing game. Following an impressive rookie season, Fannin looked poised for a breakout campaign in 2026.
That wasn't necessarily the case over Cleveland's first two games, but it looks like Fannin's fortune might be starting to turn.
The Bowling Green product was instrumental in Sunday's win over the Carolina Panthers, and it could be just the beginning of an offensive explosion.
Todd Monken's track record with tight ends makes Harold Fannin Jr.'s next step obvious
Fannin had just two catches for 21 yards in Cleveland's ugly season opener against Jacksonville, though it's hard to blame him in a game where everything that could have gone wrong went terribly wrong.
He responded with five catches for 54 yards in Week 2, including a 21-yard gain that was a sign of things to come. Fannin scored twice against the Panthers, turning seven receptions into 51 yards and the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
Under Monken's tutelage at the University of Georgia, Brock Bowers amassed 882 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in 2021 and 942 yards and seven scores in 2022. Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely combined for 28 touchdown receptions in two years in Baltimore, with Monken as offensive coordinator.
Even with a budding star like Denzel Boston working on the boundary, the Browns' passing game should run through No. 44. Fannin showed elite hands in college, and he was the team's most reliable pass catcher by a significant margin last season.
While Boston is a much more physical player who can also dominate his mismatches down the field, he's not as explosive or slippery as Fannin, who's a true yards-after-the-catch specialist.
For the first time in ages, the Browns have a good problem to have at the skill positions. Rookie wideout KC Concepcion had his quietest game yet against the Panthers, but that's going to happen with so many options in the passing game. Veteran Jerry Jeudy wasn't even targeted in the Carolina game.
But even with this many weapons, the Browns should keep feeding their big-bodied tight end. Monken knows how to scheme guys open, and after watching what he's done with tight ends over the years, Fannin could be poised for a Pro-Bowl caliber season in 2026.
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