Who Should I Start? AJ Barner or Harold Fannin Jr.

Sunday, January 5, 8:18 PM

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner scored his fourth touchdown of the season in a Week 18 win over the Los Angeles Rams. The rookie out of Michigan has proven to be a solid contributor all season. He will finish the year with 245 yards on 30 receptions in addition to the touchdowns. Barner has a chance to become a more integral part of Seattle's offense in 2025. He has already displayed solid pass-catching chops and solid run after catch ability this season. He also started several games in place of tight end Noah Fant this season. He displayed that he has what it takes to be a potential starting tight end in this league. Barner is worth monitoring throughout the offseason to see what kind of buzz he generates in camp. He is also worth a roster spot in dynasty should he have a full second-year breakout. The future looks like it could be bright for this kid.

Tuesday, May 27, 1:26 PM

The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Lance Reisland suggests that the Cleveland Browns need rookie third-round tight end Harold Fannin Jr.'s big-play abilities in their offense in 2025. Fannin, who stands at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, had a whopping 117 catches for 1,555 yards and 10 touchdowns in his final college season in 2024 at Bowling Green. He consistently created separation with elite route-running and reliable hands, but the question is whether Fannin can continue to do that consistently against better competition in the NFL. The 20-year-old has excellent yards-after-the catch skills, which the Browns desperately need, and is a matchup nightmare. There's a lot to like about Fannin's pure skills as a receiving tight end, but he's on the small side for a TE and will need to work on his blocking skills before he has any chance of unseating David Njoku as the team's primary pass-catching tight end.