Breakout Browns Rookie Harold Fannin Jr. Stuns NFL With Record-Setting Debut — Fantasy Owners Rush to Add Him

Harold Fannin Jr. has rocketed up search results this week after a string of eye-catching plays in Cleveland Browns training camp and mounting chatter from fantasy football analysts. The rookie tight end—taken No. 67 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft—now looks poised to claim a meaningful role as soon as Week 1. From Bowling Green standout to Day-Two draft gem A converted wide receiver at Bowling Green, Fannin Jr. finished his final college season with 62 receptions, 793 yards and eight touchdowns, showing the route nuance and run-after-catch skills that convinced Cleveland to spend an early third-round pick on him. Early training-camp buzz Reporters on site at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus have noted that the 6-4, 242-pound target is lining up all over the formation—inline, in the slot and even split wide—while consistently flashing soft hands and sudden acceleration out of breaks. Coaches have praised his willingness to block and his rapid command of Kevin Stefanski’s terminology. Role in Kevin Stefanski’s offense Cleveland’s scheme leans heavily on 12 personnel (two-tight-end sets), giving Fannin Jr. a clear pathway to early snaps alongside Pro Bowler David Njoku. The rookie’s receiver background could allow Stefanski to disguise run/pass intentions and isolate mismatches against linebackers who struggle in space. Fantasy football impact With Njoku attracting double teams and Amari Cooper battling a lingering ankle issue, analysts project Fannin Jr. for a 5–7 target workload as early as the season opener against Jacksonville. Yahoo Sports lists him as a top waiver-wire add ahead of Week 1, citing his red-zone usage and yards-after-catch upside. In tight-end-premium leagues, he’s already jumped inside the top-20 at the position. Comparison to Browns tight-end legacy Long-time Browns observers see shades of club legend Ozzie Newsome in Fannin Jr.’s body control and ability to find soft spots in zone coverage, though the rookie still has to prove he can handle NFL-level physicality for 17 games. Even tempered assessments agree his ceiling is higher than most mid-round prospects. What’s next? Cleveland faces roster cut-down day on August 30, but multiple team sources indicate Fannin Jr. is locked into the 53-man roster and trending toward 25–35 offensive snaps in Week 1. If he maintains his current trajectory, the rookie could finish 2025 as one of the league’s biggest tight-end surprises—making “Harold Fannin Jr.” a name fans, fantasy managers and defensive coordinators will have to monitor all season long.