Cleveland Browns: Is Harold Fannin Jr. set for a big second year?

Monken tends to run a wideout-dominant passing game — at least, he has in the pros. But Monken had a stint with the Georgia Bulldogs between his NFL gigs, and he coached Brock Bowers there. Monken compared Fannin to Bowers last month, saying, “He’s a little like Brock Bowers in the fact that his body type is more of an H and F, run after the catch … more than length, more as a C-gap blocking Y. So, you love his athleticism, you like his ability to run after the catch, his ball skills like Brock … very similar in that regard.”

Comparing anyone to Bowers is a bad idea, but I see Monken’s point. Both are simply far quicker than typical tight ends. They don’t lumber or lag, but rather spring off the ground and create a ton of extra yardage on heavy-footed linebackers or sleeping safeties. As receivers, they’re preternaturally comfortable.

Monken rightfully built his Georgia systems around Bowers. Does Fannin demand that level of heliocentrism? Not yet. Bowers has a rugged toughness that serves him well downfield, and I’m not all the way there on Fannin as a three-level threat. But Fannin has everything that elite receiving tight ends need to have in the modern NFL. As long as he clears the manageable bar of “functional blocking,” he’ll become a household name as one of the league’s most dangerous tight ends. The offense is going to look different with Monken in charge, but that does not change the fact that the Browns still need to get the ball into the hands of their playmakers, and Fannin appears to fall into that category. And if Monken is as good with an offense as advertised, he should have no trouble in finding ways to get Fannin the ball this season.