Harold Fannin Jr. Selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 2025 NFL Draft
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Bowling Green junior tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (Canton, Ohio) was selected by the Cleveland Browns during Friday's third round of the National Football Draft. Fannin was the 67th overall pick and the first tight end from Bowling Green since Greg Meczka was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the 15th round of the 1974 NFL Draft.
Fannin is the first Falcon drafted by the Browns since 1989 when defensive back Kyle Kramer was taken in the fifth round. Fannin is the 11th Falcon all-time to be drafted by the Cleveland Browns. Fannin is also the highest Falcon drafted since 1973 when Fred Sturt was taking 59th overall by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Fannin had a prolific 2024 season for the Falcons. His 117 receptions and 1,555 receiving yards not only led the nation but also set all-time FBS single-season records for a tight end. He led all tight ends nationally in over 105 statistical categories and ranked first among all receivers in more than 20. Fannin became BGSU's first-ever consensus All-American, earning first-team honors on four of the five recognized consensus All-America teams. He also became the first FBS tight end in history to earn a league MVP honor when the MAC named him the Vern Smith Leadership Award recipient. In addition, Fannin was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Year.
Fannin owns more than 20 BGSU school records and set eight FBS records in 2024, including the following tight end categories: single-season receptions, single-season receiving yards, receptions per game, receiving yards per game, bowl game receptions, bowl game receiving yards, regular-season receiving yards, and regular-season receiving yards per game. Additionally, his 17 receptions in the 68 Ventures Bowl tied the FBS record for tight end receptions in a single game.
According to Pro Football Focus, Fannin was the highest-graded player in college football, earning an overall grade of 96.1. He was also the top-graded run-blocking tight end among pass catchers, with a grade of 73.7. His 34 broken tackles set a PFF-era record for a tight end, with the next closest tight end in 2024 finishing with 19.
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