The Cleveland Browns could make a surprising move in the NFL Draft.
Last year, the Cleveland Browns selected tight end Harold Fannin Jr. in the third round of the NFL Draft, and they were strongly rewarded.
Fannin proceeded to haul in 72 receptions for 731 yards and six touchdowns during his rookie campaign, and he was targeted 107 times.
Clearly, Fannin is now a top option in the Browns' offense, and David Njoku found that out the hard way when Cleveland elected to let the former Pro Bowler walk in free agency (he remains unsigned, by the way).
But by subtracting Njoku, the Browns now have a hole behind Fannin, so they may look to nab a tight end in the draft later this month.
In fact, Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine named tight end as the one surprising need the Browns should fill in a few weeks.
"Todd Monken just got done coaching a team that had Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. He knows how to get two dynamic tight ends involved in the offense," Ballentine wrote. "Drafting another one might not be at the top of the priority list, but it would help whoever is playing quarterback next season."
Max Klare. Credit: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.Ballentine then listed Ohio State's Max Klare, Stanford's Sam Roush and Georgia's Oscar Delp — all of whom are expected to be Day 3 picks — as potential options for Cleveland.
I don't think anyone is expecting the Browns to go and take Kenyon Sadiq in the first round, but it would be wise for them to consider netting a tight end at some point considering how thin they are at the position once you get past Fannin.
Cleveland signed Jack Stoll — who has caught all of 28 passes in five seasons — in free agency and also has Blake Whiteheart and Brenden Bates on the roster. None of those names inspire any confidence.
The Browns own nine draft picks this year, so there will be plenty of room for them to select a tight end at some point.
Will Cleveland prioritize the position? Probably not, but nabbing someone like Klare — who was a major weapon at Purdue before transferring to Ohio State and seeing his production slashed — in the later rounds would be wise.
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