Though there are plenty of other position groups in limbo this offseason, perhaps the most overlooked one is tight end. With David Njoku leaving this offseason and Todd Monken coming in, figuring out who TE2 will be heading into 2026 is likely a top priority for the offensive staff.
Everyone knows how talented Harold Fannin Jr. is, especially after the catch. What we don’t know is how guys like Blake Whiteheart, Jack Stoll, Joe Royer, and Carsen Ryan would handle a legitimate number of snaps in 2026
alongside Fannin Jr. in 12 and 13 personnel formations.
Whiteheart has only played 452 offensive snaps for Cleveland over the past two years, but he’s looked surprisingly good when on the field as both a blocker and pass-catcher. Though the free agent acquisition of blocking tight end Jack Stoll overshadowed the thought of Whiteheart being a legitimate option at TE2, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see Whiteheart be a realistic option by the time week one comes around.
Stoll will likely continue to be a blocking-first option for Cleveland, but just because that’s not necessarily “exciting” doesn’t mean that his role won’t be important for the Browns’ offense. He has a lot of great experience as well, playing 574 snaps for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022 when they went 14-3 and played in the Super Bowl.
He’ll likely be on the field in different subpackages for Todd Monken, similar to how the Ravens used Charlie Kolar in 2025.
The most intriguing option for the Browns might be former Cincinnati TE Joe Royer, who was one of Cleveland’s fifth-round picks in the 2026 draft. He put a lot of great things on film, especially when it comes to being a pure pass-catcher. His ability to high-point the football, show late hands in traffic, and consistently make grabs away from his frame really stood out on tape, and it was honestly surprising to see him get selected so late in the draft this year.
He shows great effort as a blocker as well, and his size (6’5”, 250lbs.) has allowed him to engulf linebackers when moving to the second level on zone plays. He has a very legitimate shot to get first-team reps this summer in base 12P for Cleveland. If he does well there, he might be the favorite to be one of the “starters” in Monken’s 12P formations heading into the regular season.
It sounds like Monken plans on using seventh-rounder Carsen Ryan as more of a hybrid H-back with the Browns, in a similar way to how he used Patrick Ricard in Baltimore. Ryan is obviously more of a receiving threat than Ricard was, but the role was undoubtedly important in that Ravens offense.
Players like Sal Cannella, Brenden Bates, and Caden Prieskorn are likely practice-squad-only types, but Bates looked pretty decent in 2025 when he started three games down the stretch.
Despite not being talked about much right now, figuring out the tight end position is definitely high up on the offensive staff’s “to-do list” this offseason.
What are your thoughts on Cleveland’s current tight end group? Join fellow Browns fans in the comment section below.
