The Kansas City Chiefs will spend one of their official 2025 NFL Draft top 30 visits on Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr., according to Fannin himself.
The 6-foot-3 pass-catcher, first-team Associated Press All-American and MAC Player of the Year joined the “Up & Adams” show with host Kay Adams on April 3, and he revealed his next several pre-draft meetings that he has on his schedule.
Along with the Chiefs, Fannin named the AFC West rival Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns — not to mention he already visited with the San Francisco 49ers.
Per NFL Network draft expert Lance Zierlein, Fannin is best described as an “enigmatic prospect featuring record-breaking single-season catch production despite a straight-legged playing style.”
“Fannin’s lack of functional bend forces him on more linear tracks and cuts his route tree in half, but it doesn’t keep him from getting around the field and through the pattern with good speed,” Zierlein scouted on ahead of the NFL draft. “Fannin’s hands are automatic and he’s a competitive runner after the catch, but he needs to prove he can beat tight press-man coverage.”
The veteran draft analyst also noted that “[Fannin] won’t block much, but his ability to stretch the field from the slot and make the tough catches give him a shot as a potential TE2 with upside.”
Chiefs NFL Draft Visit Harold Fannin Jr. Has Been Connected to KC in the Past
Although this Fannin news is much more real, it’s not the first time the pass-catching tight end has been highlighted as a potential fit with the Chiefs.
Athlon Sports draft analyst Luke Easterling predicted that Kansas City would spend their first-round pick on Fannin back in December, before it was clear whether or not superstar Travis Kelce would be returning in 2025.
To be clear, that prediction was probably a tad bit overzealous, as The 33rd Team’s lead draft expert Kyle Crabbs has Fannin projected at a “third round” valuation.
“Harold Fannin Jr. is an offensive weapon who can provide a slew of layers into an offensive playbook,” Crabbs wrote last November. “His natural receiving skills are evident when watching him catch targets and pluck the football with his hands.”
Most enticing of all for Chiefs head coach Andy Reid — and the likely reason for this top 30 NFL draft visit — is how creatively Fannin can be utilized.
“He’s been given touches out of the backfield with success and lined up on the perimeter for screen game in addition to his traditional targets and even been given direct snaps,” Crabbs explained.
Adding: “I’m not sure his NFL menu will be quite as vast, but there is more to work with than your usual flex tight end if you want to invest in building it into your personnel groups and play design.”
Harold Fannin Jr. Could Be Latest Chiefs Mismatch Experiment at Tight End
Reid and the Chiefs have always looked for mismatches at tight end. The position has become a massive portion of their offensive gameplan, and KC’s focus on this area has often provided them with a clear advantage over other NFL teams.
It’s not just Kelce, a future Hall of Famer, who has done this. Kansas City has experimented with different pass-catching TE2s and TE3s over the years, like Jody Fortson or Demetrius Harris.
Just last year, for example, they drafted Jared Wiley — who showed off a lot of upside as a receiver before suffering a torn ACL. And Noah Gray has developed into a versatile offensive weapon in his own right.
Of course, we’d be remiss talking about Kansas City tight end mismatches without mentioning Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez.
Tight end has always been a strength of the Chiefs’ organization, and Fannin’s NFL draft visit comes as no surprise as Reid and company continue to prioritize this position long-term.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Chiefs Hosting 6-Foot-3 Pass-Catcher With ‘Automatic’ Hands appeared first on Heavy Sports.