After dropping 26 video games previously two seasons, there have to be a change forward. And alter has occurred throughout this Cleveland Browns roster this offseason. Newly minted head coach Todd Monken is an offensive man. In all places he has landed, he has reworked the offense right into a unit of success and located methods to grind out wins.
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One of many offensive teams that has reworked is the tight finish room. Veteran David Njoku was a free agent; the staff didn’t supply him an extension through the season, and so he publicly mentioned his goodbyes to the Metropolis of Cleveland. Not too long ago, he signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, and each Browns fan needs him luck.
One motive Njoku wasn’t pursued was that his wage didn’t match his manufacturing. He was paid like a High 5 tight finish, however didn’t have the a number of Professional Bowls and even get previous the 1,000-yard plateau even as soon as in his profession. Secondly, final 12 months’s rookie Harold Fannin, Jr. proved to be an excellent offensive weapon that can want extra targets because the season unfolds.
Monken desires to pound the ball on the bottom. That takes good blockers and a variety of our bodies who will do the soiled work. That basically spells tight finish.
Normally, an NFL staff will hold three tight ends on the roster, however this teaching workers will, in all doubtless retain 4. And each single one have to be proficient in blocking in-line or downfield.
How will this room fill out? What are Cleveland’s present choices? Tight finish appears to be the recent place group across the NFL in 2026. Within the NFL draft, 22 had been chosen. Two had been chosen by the Browns, who’re going to make use of much more multiple-tight-end units and use the next goal share on this place.
The development with Cleveland going ahead is to go together with heavier tight finish units and prioritize this facet. A whole lot of two and three-tight finish units will turn out to be the norm along with his new offense. And due to this, a roster wants succesful our bodies.
One factor that could be a enormous plus with this group, there isn’t that loopy monster contract being paid to any of them.
Harold Fannin Jr. #44 (Photograph by Jason Miller/Getty Pictures) Getty Pictures
Harold Fannin, Jr. (6’-4”, 241 kilos)
NFL draft: Spherical 3 (2025)
Contract: Yr 2 of his rookie 4-year deal
The Ohio child had an amazing season final 12 months. In his last 12 months at Bowling Inexperienced, he led the nation in receptions and likewise in receiving yards, with out being an precise receiver. Fannin was the highest-graded participant in faculty soccer (96.1) by Professional Soccer Focus.
Coming in as a rookie with the Browns, he was considered as a complement to Njoku. For almost all of the primary half of the season, that just about performed out that means. However quarterbacks Dillion Gabriel after which Shedeur Sanders discovered that Fannin was a weapon, not a sidekick to the veteran. For Sanders, Fannin was his go-to man.
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At season’s finish, he had 107 targets, which led the staff. He had scored six touchdowns. Fannin transformed 32 first downs. Out of his 731 yards, 352 had been YAC numbers. He did have 4 drops, with a number of in vital conditions in shut video games.
Fannin is taken into account a receiver first, after which possibly he’ll block. It’s not like he isn’t desirous about blocking, however in faculty, he hardly ever did and accounted for 56% of all offensive performs catching the ball. That’s the reason his reception numbers had been so excessive. Sport plan: Throw it to Fannin. When Njoku got here to Cleveland, he was a horrible blocker. Then, through the bye week in his third season, O-Line coach Invoice Callahan took the time to show him, and after some time, his blocking abilities had been constant. Any individual must take the time to tutor Fannin.
Fannin was voted to the NFL All-Rookie Workforce. Long run, he tasks that there isn’t a ceiling for his abilities. Can he turn out to be one of many league’s finest on the tight finish place? Can he turn out to be the franchise’s subsequent Ozzie? Sure, he’s extra of a giant receiver and has nice palms, and it’s clear he doesn’t need to be tackled. Monken will be capable of transfer him round and play in numerous areas of the sphere. He’s merely a mismatch regardless of the place he’s lined up.
Fannin’s favourite factor to do away from the sphere is to fish.
Blake Whiteheart #86 (Photograph by Nick Cammett/Diamond Pictures by way of Getty Pictures) Diamond Pictures/Getty Pictures
Blake Whiteheart (6’-4”, 250 kilos)
NFL draft: Undrafted (2023)
Contract: Yr 1 of his 1-year deal
The veteran has inked three one-year contracts in a row and brings veteran depth to the group. Final 12 months, he performed in all 17 video games with 4 begins. He has performed 452 offensive snaps for Cleveland and 355 particular groups reps over the previous two years.
Going into 2026, he needs to be thought-about the “next man up” so far as the tight finish room. Which is kind of an accomplishment from a child who didn’t develop up enjoying sports activities, however was into motocross as a substitute. In highschool, he came upon he was fairly good at soccer and had a knack for catching the ball. He’s additionally tackler on particular groups in punt protection.
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Whiteheart is an above-average cross catcher and can block, however wants some refinement on this division. He can not stay engaged, however will place himself in line and try to get in the best way downfield. He offers full effort and can tackle greater defensive linemen, however isn’t spectacular.
His spouse grew up in Akron. Whiteheart is a gamer, loves fishing, juggling, listens to the band Paramore, and is studying the sport of golf.
Jack Stoll #88 (Photograph by Steph Chambers/Getty Pictures) Getty Pictures
Jack Stoll (6’-4”, 247 kilos)
NFL draft: Undrafted (2021)
Contract: Yr 1 of his 1-year deal
The brand new offense put in by Monken will want loads of blockers and blocking tight ends. That is a kind of.
Stoll has had little or no manufacturing catching passes since he arrived within the NFL again in 2021 – 28 receptions to be clear. What’s that? 5.6 catches? Not a recreation, per season. Which all implies that Stoll is relied upon for his blocking talents. And that’s the reason Cleveland signed him. Working the ball lots means gamers in entrance who can transfer our bodies. Stoll has registered 1,019 snaps as a run-blocker, 126 as a pass-blocker, and 704 particular groups snaps.
In coaching camp, Stoll must show his price as a blocker and a “skinny offensive tackle.” In any other case, it is a generic signing by the Browns on a man who simply may turn out to be a coaching camp physique.
Brenden Bates #82 (Photograph by Nick Cammett/Diamond Pictures by way of Getty Pictures) Diamond Pictures/Getty Pictures
Brenden Bates (6’-5”, 255 kilos)
NFL draft: Undrafted (2024)
Contract: Yr 2 of his rookie 4-year deal
Bates is an Ohio child haven grown up in Cincinnati. He performed basketball, soccer and ran observe. His dad and mom, grandfather, and each his siblings all performed sports activities in faculty. Bates was All-State in highschool.
The Browns signed him as a blocking tight finish. He got here out of school as a high blocker. Since coming to the NFL, he has been on the observe squad of three groups and has signed with Cleveland twice. Final 12 months, he was on the principle roster, performed in 4 video games, and had 4 catches for 48 yards. Up to now, Bates has performed in 16 NFL video games, with half of these in orange and brown.
Bates was tendered as an unique rights free agent. He will likely be utilized in working downs, however no person goes to assert him on their fantasy staff or choose him in Madden. His function with the Browns is to maneuver defenders and snag a cross right here and there.
Caden Prieskorn #88 (Photograph by Nick Cammett/Getty Pictures) Getty Pictures
Caden Prieskorn (6’-5”, 255 kilos)
NFL draft: Undrafted (2025)
Contract: Yr 1 of his 1-year deal
Prieskorn was all the time the large child with out all of the filling. He performed QB in highschool and guided his staff to a state championship in Michigan. When he arrived on the campus of the College of Memphis, they switched to tight finish as he had crammed out a bit. He entered the switch portal and arrived on the campus of Ole Miss for his last two seasons. At one level, Prieskorn was a semifinalist for the Mackey Award. In his 5 years of school play, he had simply 112 catches.
Final 12 months, he was minimize by the Detroit Lions, the Denver Broncos, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier than being signed to the observe squad of the Browns. He has but to look in an NFL regular-season recreation. In January, he was signed to a reserve/futures contract.
He’s strictly a developmental Y-tight finish prospect who can beat zone and has some best measurables. Prieskorn is constructed to dam, and that’s the place he might want to present his price. He has had restricted manufacturing in cross catching and isn’t a vertical menace. He may even must maintain his blocks longer, and his route working wants work.
Joe Royer #18 of the Cleveland Browns (Photograph by Nick Cammett/Getty Pictures) Getty Pictures
Joe Royer (6’-5”, 247 kilos)
NFL draft: Spherical 5 (2026)
Contract: Yr 1 of his rookie 4-year deal
One other Ohio child who was raised in Cincinnati and grew up an enormous Bengals fan. Yeah, that. In faculty, Royer was both in-line or within the slot. In 2024, he broke Travis Kelce’s single-season college report for catches by a good finish (50). He has spectacular palms and is an enormous goal. He can block considerably, however shouldn’t be dominant on this regard. He’ll want some tutelage.
He has first rate pace however isn’t going to outrun anybody. Consider, Royer is hand-picked by Monken after being chosen in Spherical 5, who sees him as a do-it-all undertaking. He exhibits good physique management and has wonderful soccer IQ. Has untapped ceiling. He has inconsistent hand placement, so that can should be labored on.
Carsen Ryan #20 of the BYU Cougars (Photograph by Bryan Byerly/ISI Pictures/ISI Pictures by way of Getty Pictures) ISI Pictures by way of Getty Pictures
Carsen Ryan (6’-4”, 250 kilos)
NFL draft: Spherical 7 (2026)
Contract: Yr 1 of his rookie 4-year deal
The Y-tight finish spot was the place Ryan often lined up in faculty. He has first rate palms and is a good blocker, however is proscribed in each. As a blocker, he’s each fast and bodily. Cleveland took him within the seventh spherical.
Ryan does lack burst getting out of his breaks and has some stiffness when he adjusts to poorly thrown balls, and desires work sinking as a blocker to re-leverage.
