Cleveland Browns Rookie Compared to Dynamic NFL Hall of Famer

The Cleveland Browns are on the hunt for some more offensive juice for the upcoming 2025 NFL season. After losing Deshaun Watson to injury and letting Jameis Winston walk in free agency, they knew they'd need to identify a new starting quarterback between veteran Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders.

No matter who's named QB1, though, the Browns have plenty of other question marks along their offensive depth chart. Aside from Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku, they don't have any other surefire weapons to generate yards and points, especially following second-round pick Quinshon Judkins's legal troubles.

They'll be looking for some unexpected talent to step up and establish themselves as legitimate playmakers this season. Players like Jerome Ford and Cedric Tillman III should have ample opportunities to earn favor within the offense this year. Cleveland will also be banking on one of their rookies to become a consistent contributor in his first year.

Browns third-round pick Harold Fannin Jr. draws comparisons to Hall of Fame tight end

The Cleveland Browns only picked two non-quarterback offensive players in the 2025 NFL Draft. Second-round pick Quinshon Judkins could go unsigned following his domestic violence arrest, but they have high hopes for third-rounder Harold Fannin Jr. out of Bowling Green.

The 6'3", 240-lb tight end proved to be one of the most productive players in NCAA football history with the Falcons, putting up a nation-leading 117 receptions for 1,555 yards in his junior season. With those numbers, it's clear that the Browns wanted Fannin Jr. for his receiving prowess. They'll be hoping that he can live up to his reputation as a weapon in the passing game.

CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso recently gave him a lofty comparison, drawing parallels between Fannin Jr. and Hall of Fame tight end, Antonio Gates:

"...I'm drawing this parallel because of the uniqueness of his gait on the field.

Fannin runs like he's nursing an injury, or there are limitations to his knee flexion. Ask any defender in the MAC if there's anything hindering Fannin's capabilities on the field, and you'll get a resounding negative on that question...

In the MAC last season, Fannin forcing a whopping 34 missed tackles on his 117 grabs and averaged 13.3 yards per catch -- he routinely threatened the seam, in vintage Gates form."

Nice run from rookie TE Harold Fannin Jr. pic.twitter.com/ovz0scqsbw
— Leah Doherty (@LeahDohertyTV) July 30, 2025

Should Fannin Jr. establish himself as a high-level vertical threat who can also come up with yards with the ball in his hands, he'll find ample opportunity in a Browns offense desperate for playmaking talent. Antonio Gates started his NFL career slowly after going undrafted as a full-time basketball player out of Kent State. Cleveland could give Harold Fannin Jr. a decent head start on Gates if he can be a productive weapon right away.