Todd Monken doesn’t sound like a coach easing Harold Fannin Jr. into Year 2. He sounds like one already mapping out how to turn the Browns tight end into a problem defenses can’t solve.
Fannin was one of the few bright spots in Cleveland’s rough 2025 season, and the rookie made the most of it. He finished first on the team in receptions with 72, receiving yards with 731, and receiving touchdowns with 6. That kind of production made him one of the Browns’ most important young pieces, and now he’s paired with an offensive head coach who knows how to work with elite tight ends.
Monken met with the media on Wednesday and laid out exactly what he wants Fannin to sharpen next. The praise came first: Fannin’s tackle-breaking ability, his production after the catch, and even his willingness to mix it up as a blocker. But Monken was clear that the next step is growth in two specific areas - blocking and becoming a true matchup player.
"Harold is still a developmental blocker, but what I do like about him is that guys at times with his athleticism aren’t all in on the blocking aspect of it, which he has shown he will be. He will do that for our team, so that’s still a work in progress.
There were parts of the spring where we didn’t have him. But I think he has the ability to be a matchup player but also an elite run-after-catch guy.
What I’ve seen on film is the run-after-catch, and a bull with the ball in his hands. Now it’s, can we get him in terms of his development further along in terms of his blocking, and as a matchup player."
That’s the blueprint in plain English. Fannin has already shown he’ll engage in the run game, which matters because willingness is the first hurdle for any young tight end trying to earn more responsibility.
The technique can come later. The attitude has to be there first.
The matchup piece is the bigger prize. Monken’s point is simple: if Fannin can be moved around and create problems for different defenders, he becomes much more than a young tight end with promising numbers. He can stress linebackers, challenge defensive backs, and force opponents to adjust every snap.
That kind of versatility changes how an offense functions. If Fannin gets there, Cleveland can keep him on the field more often, lean on him in the run game, and target him as a constant threat in the passing game. With other talented young players developing around him, Fannin could end up as a central part of a Browns offense that has real bite.
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