The Cleveland Browns entered the NFL Draft knowing they needed to add some offensive weapons, and the general consensus was that they would add a running back and a wide receiver.
Instead, the Browns selected two halfbacks and a tight end, completely neglecting the wide receiver position.
Cleveland’s decision to avoid drafting a receiver entirely was definitely rather strange considering how deep this draft class was at wide out, but that’s a story for another day.
For now, let’s focus on the fact that the Browns took Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. in the third round, which places former Pro Bowler David Njoku on the hot seat heading into 2025.
Njoku has just one year remaining on his contract and has mostly been a disappointment in Cleveland, as his career has been marked by inconsistency since joining the NFL ranks a s a first-round pick back in 2017.
Meanwhile, Fannin hauled in 117 receptions for 1,555 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024. He led all of college football in each of the two former categories, a truly tremendous feat for a tight end regardless of the fact that he played in Mid-Atlantic Conference.
The 20-year-old is a freakish athlete and is an obvious threat to displace Njoku as soon as next season, and it would honestly be surprising if 2025 weren’t Njoku’s final year in Cleveland.
Sure, the Browns can run some two tight end sets, which would make even more sense if they decided to roll with a rookie quarterback. But even still, Njoku can’t feel all that great about his current standing in Cleveland after the Browns made this rather surprising draft choice.
That Cleveland took a tight end isn’t surprising. It’s that the Browns decided to roll with a tight end on Day 2—and over a wide receiver—that made the decision so jarring.
It demonstrates that Cleveland has very high hopes for Fannin, and it not only indicates that Njoku is running on borrowed time, but it also means that the Browns could very well be heading toward trading the veteran between now and next season’s trade deadline.
