The Cleveland Browns landed a true steal in the 2025 NFL Draft. Watching Harold Fannin Jr. slip to the third round after putting up ridiculous numbers at Bowling Green was a pleasant surprise, and it didn't take long before he proved that he was poised for stardom.
Fannin became just the ninth tight end since the merger to log at least 700 receiving yards as a rookie. He was so good that the Browns opted to cut ties with longtime veteran David Njoku at the end of the season.
However, despite showing flashes of superstar potential in his first year in the league, ESPN analyst Ben Solak believes he will have a tough time replicating that type of production, now that Kevin Stefanski has left for Atlanta.
"Fannin had an advocate in outgoing head coach Kevin Stefanski -- an ex-tight ends coach. Stefanski was an early adopter of multi-TE sets and elicited huge improvements from Njoku during their time together in Cleveland. With incoming head coach Todd Monken, the future is a little cloudier," Solak wrote.
Harold Fannin Jr. could see a very different role under Todd Monken
Monken has proven that he can adapt his offense to his personnel. He once compared Fannin to Brock Bowers, so there should be plenty of scripted touches for Fannin in 2026 and beyond. Tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely were also crucial parts of the Baltimore Ravens' passing game during Monken's tenure there as offensive coordinator.
Of course, the Browns will also have two new mouths to feed in Monken's first year. Rookie wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston will probably get as many snaps as they can handle, and the Browns may also want to see what they have in ascending second-year wideout Isaiah Bond.
As such, Fannin might not see double-digit targets as often as he did late in his rookie season. The Browns have a real chance to be playing with the lead more often in 2026, and with a strong expected emphasis on the running game (a Monken staple), Cleveland may not need to funnel as much of the offense through its talented young tight end.
Whatever the case, Fannin has already proven that he has some of the most reliable hands in the game. He's a yards after the catch threat and tackle-breaking machine waiting to take off on every route. Even if he's not the centerpiece of the passing game this year, not utilizing Fannin's diverse skill set in the passing game would raise major questions.
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