No matter where you look, most observers claim the Browns have the weakest receiving corps in the NFL. In fact, PFF ranked the unit dead last in the entire league, following a free agency and draft period that saw the Browns add veterans Diontae Johnson and DeAndre Carter.
They avoided the position entirely in the NFL Draft, but were able to agree to terms with some undrafted free agents (Gage Larvadain, Cade McDonald, Luke Floriea, and Kisean Johnson) as well as a 2nd year undrafted player in Jaelen Gill.
Returning from the 2024 roster are Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, Jamari Thrash, Kaden Davis, David Bell, and Michael Woods II. They ultimately saw Elijah Moore depart to the Buffalo Bills and replace another former Brown, Amari Cooper, who still finds himself teamless as the calendar hits July.
To this point in their careers, every player the Browns have at this position has proven very little in the NFL, save for Jeudy and Johnson. Carter has proven to be more of a special-teams contributor throughout his extended time in the league. There are still high hopes for Tillman, who enters training camp with the greatest opportunity of his career to carve out a big role on offense.
While we are by no means counting out the Browns' young receivers, perhaps a formation that has become a little antiquated in modern offenses can offer another solution that brings a young playmaker into the mix, more than what has become traditional.
Harold Fannin Jr. could be the Browns' solution at receiver
Rookie third-round draft choice Harold Fannin Jr. could turn out to be the wildcard that pays huge dividends for the Browns this season. While David Njoku remains one of the team's best options, barring a trade, perhaps the Browns could shift to the use of 12 personnel (1 running back, 2 tight ends, 2 wide receivers) more often to utilize both of their skill sets at the same time.
Consider, in his senior year at Bowling Green, Harold Fannin Jr. had 117 receptions, 1,555 yards, and 10 TDs en route to All-America honors. In their entire NFL careers, Tillman, Thrash, Woods II, and Bell have only amassed 106 receptions, 1,103 yards, and six touchdowns. It begins to paint a picture that perhaps the Browns would be best served to feature him in the passing game.
Last season, the Browns used 12 personnel at the 23rd highest rate in the league (16.46% of plays) according to Sumer Sports. Be it from offensive philosophy or the underwhelming tight ends on the roster last season, that number figures to jump significantly with Fannin in the mix. The NFL leader in 12 personnel usage was the Las Vegas Raiders, who used this personnel 35.49% of the time.
Historically speaking, some teams have been able to utilize their secondary tight end as more of a third receiver. The gold standard would have to be the 2011 New England Patriots, who had Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez among their top three target-getters on the season, culminating in a 13-3 record with a Super Bowl appearance. The duo hauled in 169 receptions, 2,237 yards, and a whopping 24 TDs.
Further back in history, the 1984 San Diego Chargers had a duo of the Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr. and former Cleveland Brown Pete Holohan as their secondary and tertiary receivers on the team. They combined for 111 receptions, 1,397 yards, and 3 TDs.
Finally, just a few years before that, in 1979, the Oakland Raiders had two Pro Bowl tight ends, the Hall of Famer Dave Casper, who was also named All-Pro, and Raymond Chester. The duo had 115 receptions, 1,556 yards, and 11 TDs.
The point is, it could - and has - worked in the NFL. While modern-day offenses most commonly use 11 personnel (1 running back, 1 tight end, 3 wide receivers - 60.68% of the plays league-wide), the Browns could use this season as something of a trial in zigging while the league zags.
It is one strategy that has been utilized in Philadelphia, where the Eagles noticed a league-wide trend in the de-emphasis of the run game, something they in turn chose to emphasize, and run roughshod on their way to the Lombardi trophy.
I'm not saying the Browns will be the 2024 Eagles, but if nothing else, the Browns owe it to themselves and their fans to see what Harold Fannin Jr. can do in a season that is expected to be less than stellar. There is no reason - other than injury - that the Browns should leave 2025 without a great idea of what kind of players they have in all of their youngsters.