The tight end class in the 2025 NFL Draft has a lot of promise. Outside of Tyler Warren (who might be part golem) and Colston Loveland (Sean Payton’s dream), there’s a lot of tight ends in this class who bring different flavors to an NFL offense. One of the most interesting cases at the position is Bowling Green TE Harold Fannin Jr.
If you look up any record books for single season receiving numbers for a tight end, you’ll probably find Fannin’s name in it. Single season receiving yards? Fannin stands alone at the top after a 2024 campaign that saw him go for 1,555 receiving yards on 117 receptions (also most in NCAA history by a tight end). Fannin also performed at his best against bigger teams in power conferences, going for over 100 receiving yards against both Penn State and Texas A&M.
However, Fannin is a bit of an odd projection when it comes to the NFL. As the league shifts to 12 personnel and power gap and bower-based runs, having a tight end who can block well enough to force teams into their base personnel, but not be a stiff in the receiving department is huge. How does Fannin fit into the modern NFL offense?
What Fannin brings to the table starts as a receiver. He’s compactly built at 6’3 and 241 pounds, but his ability to separate and get targets downfield. It’s a little cliche to say, but Fannin really can be a vertical field stretcher down the seams. He’s not overly fast, but his burst through the first ten yards helps him dust linebackers and safeties. If he gets a free release to work vertically, he’s going to win on the route. This is a perfect example. He’s running an outbreaking route against Arkansas State, and that free release gives him time to build up speed and he can use some hip movement to sell inside then break back out.
This is another really good example of Fannin being able to stretch the field with a free release down the seams. Texas A&M is running Tampa 2, and Fannin is working as the inside receiver off another free release, and he’s able to bend this route right into the hole in the zone.
Fannin can also be a problem on screen routes and targets from out the backfield. He had the second-most screen routes run in college football in 2024 (behind Penn State’s Tyler Warren) and a blistering 0.371 EPA per target on said routes. As I said before, he’s not super fast, but his buildup speed is something to behold. If he gets a clear lane or runway, he can get up to 60 pretty quickly. On this arrow screen, you can see Fannin’s ability to break tackles and turn this into a 64 yard completion. He’s not the most overwhelming athlete, but he’s shown to be a load to handle when he’s got the ball in his hands.
As a blocker, I think Fannin has his moments, but in certain situations. At his best, Fannin is used as the second tight end in 12 personnel and takes on cornerbacks, safeties and linebackers. He can get too wide at times, allowing for his target to get past him, but when he locks on he can be a good blocker in space.
At the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Fannin worked both as an F TE and as a fullback, which is where I think he’ll win in the NFL as a blocker. Get him off the ball, working against LBs and safeties and he can make hay as a blocker.
While Fannin is a very good receiver at the position, I think there are some things that could potentially hold him back. Overall, he’s a bit of an odd athlete, who ends up getting his feet caught on routes. Because he has to build up speed to really win, some of his struggles have come through contact early in his routes. Bowling Green did a great job of getting him into situations where he could use free releases and not have to worry about fighting through contact as often as other tight ends. On top of that, Fannin isn’t that dynamic as an in-line blocker, being overwhelmed by bigger and stronger ends.
How will that translate into the NFL? I think there’s a role for him, but it’s going to be specific. Because of his deficiencies as an in-line blocker, he’s going to have to exclusively be in 12 personnel. However, does that limit his versatility? If he can’t be in 11 personnel because of where he lacks as a blocker, how high are you willing to take him? At his best in the NFL, I think he’s like a Jonnu Smith or Isaiah Likely style of player. Designated touches, downfield targets and ability to win after the catch as the second tight end, and you can try and get him isolated on other smaller guys on the defense as a blocker.
The biggest thing to remember about Fannin is that he’s 20 years old, though. The room for growth and development is still so, so wide, and a good coach can help morph him into someone that can play full time. With how much 21 and 22 personnel the Ravens play, Likely is able to win as an off the line of scrimmage blocker and a receiver downfield, something that Fannin can mimic at the NFL level.
Given his age and production, he’s worthy of a swing on Day 2 of the draft. However, it’ll take a creative coach to unlock his potential.
