Harold Fannin Jr. basically broke college football in 2024. If you weren't watching Bowling Green on a random Tuesday night, you missed a historic campaign. We're talking about a kid who didn't just lead tight ends; he led the entire nation in receiving yards and catches at one point, finishing with a ridiculous 1,555 yards on 117 receptions. It’s unheard of for a Group of Five tight end to put up those numbers, yet here we are, looking back at the Harold Fannin Jr. NFL draft journey as one of the most intriguing "how did he last this long?" stories in recent memory.
He was the first tight end in FBS history to be named a conference player of the year. Not just offensive player—overall player.
The Cleveland Browns ended up grabbing him with the 67th overall pick in the third round of the 2025 draft. Honestly, when you look at the tape from his games against Penn State and Texas A&M, where he looked like the best player on the field against NFL-caliber defenders, it's wild he wasn't a lock for the first round. Some scouts worried about the "level of competition" in the MAC, but Fannin made sure to silence that by torching the Big Ten and SEC in non-conference play. He’s a local kid from Canton, Ohio, so staying in the Land to play for the Browns was a script-writer's dream.
Breaking Down the Harold Fannin Jr. NFL Draft Profile
The thing about Fannin is that he’s not your traditional Y-tight end. You aren’t going to park him on the offensive line and ask him to move 300-pound defensive tackles for 60 snaps a game. At 6'3" and about 240 pounds, he’s more of a "queen on the chessboard," as Browns GM Andrew Berry put it. He's a mismatch nightmare. Linebackers are too slow for him, and most safeties aren't physical enough to handle his frame when the ball is in the air.
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Elite Production by the Numbers
- 117 receptions and 1,555 yards in his final year at BGSU.
- 873 yards after catch (YAC), which led all FBS players.
- 3.77 yards per route run, a number that outperformed elite wide receivers.
- 34 broken tackles in a single season.
If you look at the advanced stats, Fannin was the highest-graded overall player by Pro Football Focus (PFF) in 2024 with a 96.1 grade. That's not just "good for the MAC." That's the highest grade in the country. He isn't just a pass-catcher either; despite being undersized, he earned a 73.7 run-blocking grade, showing he’s willing to do the dirty work when the scheme asks for it.
The Scouting Combine Reality
At the 2025 NFL Combine, Fannin ran a 4.71-second 40-yard dash. It wasn't "blazing," and that's probably why he slipped into the third round. But speed on paper and speed on grass are two different things. He looks significantly faster on film because his change of direction is elite. He clocked a 6.97-second three-cone drill, which was second among all tight ends. That lateral agility is why he was able to hurdle defenders and make guys miss in the open field so consistently.
Why NFL Teams Initially Hesitated
Scouts are often terrified of "tweeners." If a guy is too small to be a traditional tight end and not quite fast enough to be a true X-receiver, they get nervous. Fannin fits right in that Sam LaPorta or Isaiah Likely mold—players who were undervalued because they didn't fit a specific prototype.
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The "Group of Five" stigma is real, too. People see a tight end putting up 193 yards against Old Dominion and think, "Okay, but can he do it against the Ravens?" The Browns clearly thought so. They saw a player who caught 11 balls for 137 yards against a Penn State defense that was loaded with future NFL starters. He proved he could move the chains against anyone.
Harold Fannin Jr.'s Instant Impact in Cleveland
The transition to the NFL has been smoother than anyone expected. Because the Browns have David Njoku, they didn't need Fannin to be an every-down inline blocker right away. They’ve used him in the slot, as a H-back, and even in the backfield.
In his rookie 2025 season, Fannin hauled in 72 passes for 731 yards and six touchdowns. He basically became a security blanket for whoever was under center. During a late-season stretch, he posted double-digit fantasy points in four straight games, even adding a rushing touchdown in short-yardage situations. He’s already showing that the production at Bowling Green wasn't a fluke; it was a preview of a Pro Bowl-caliber talent.
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Actionable Takeaways for Talent Evaluators
- Prioritize YAC over 40-times: Fannin's 4.71 didn't matter because his 873 YAC yards proved he knows how to navigate space.
- Watch the "Big Game" tape: Group of Five stats can be padded, but Fannin's best games were against Power Five opponents. That's the real litmus test.
- Draft for the "Modern" TE: The league is moving toward versatile "move" tight ends. Teams that stuck to the 260-pound "blocking-first" prototype missed out on a weapon that can dictate defensive personnel.
If you’re a dynasty manager or just a fan of the Browns, you've got a gem. Fannin is currently on a trajectory that suggests he'll be a top-five tight end in the league within the next two years. He’s tough, he’s local, and he’s proving every scout who passed on him in the first two rounds wrong every single Sunday.
The next step is watching how Cleveland integrates him as a primary target once Njoku's contract situation evolves. For now, enjoy the mismatches. He's exactly who we thought he was at Bowling Green—a flat-out football player.