Colts Already Working on Harold Fannin Jr. at Senior Bowl

The Indianapolis Colts desperately need tight end help in the 2025 NFL Draft, and one of their coaches is leading a record-breaking performer at the Senior Bowl.

Sep 7, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Bowling Green Falcons tight end Harold Fannin Jr (0) catches a pass during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Bowling Green 34-27. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts' passing game was a feast-or-famine product that lacked any sort of rhythm or sustainability in 2024.

If it wasn't a downfield shot to Alec Pierce or a chain-moving completion to Josh Downs, it felt like the pass attempt was going to be an unfruitful endeavor. Besides Michael Pittman Jr. dealing with a debilitating back injury throughout the season and rookie AD Mitchell never finding his footing, the biggest issue among pass-catchers was the lack of a receiving threat at tight end.

Statistically, the Colts' tight end room was inarguably one of the least productive in the NFL. In fact, 25 individual tight ends across the NFL had more receiving yards by themselves than the 467 yards that the entirety of the Colts' tight ends produced.

Assuming Pittman comes back healthy in 2025 after scans revealed he won't need surgery, and Mitchell takes any sort of step forward, then that gives the Colts a pretty solid four-man receiving corps. Considering starting tight ends Mo Alie-Cox and Kylen Granson are both free agents this offseason, it gives the Colts an obvious opportunity to recreate their tight end group.

This is a great offseason to need a tight end, as there are a few quality veteran free agent options, but more importantly, the 2025 NFL Draft class is loaded at the position. One glaring possibility is Bowling Green's Harold Fannin Jr., and the Colts are already getting a firsthand evaluation of the incredibly productive pass-catcher.

Colts assistant offensive line coach Chris Watt is Fannin's tight end coach for the National Team this week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and Fannin is already getting a positive impact from the Colts' coach.

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"You know, like everybody says I'm a little lighter, you know what I mean? They think I can't block. So, having (Watt) as a coach who actually knows how to block, you know, he can kind of instill that in me and obviously help me improve my game on blocking," Fannin told Horseshoe Huddle.

In three years at Bowling Green, Fannin rewrote the record books and increased his output each season, culminating in an incredible 117-catch, 1,555-yard, 10-touchdown season in 2024 that earned him Consensus All-American honors. He broke numerous school, conference, and FBS single-season tight end records, including receptions, receiving yards, receptions per game, and receiving yards per game.

However, as Fannin pointed out, the biggest question marks that evaluators have about him is how his 230-plus-pound frame will hold up as a blocker in the NFL. Is he simply going to be a glorified slot receiver disguised as a tight end, or can he be a true three-down impact player that doesn't have to be taken off the field in running situations?

"Just, you know, get the extra film, work with the coaches, wherever I go, whoever picks me up, and obviously just keep putting in extra work," Fannin said as to how he intends to make an immediate impact as a rookie.

While Fannin certainly has the self-awareness that his size and blocking are his biggest knocks, can a team like the Colts, who need tight end help so badly, afford to roll the dice on someone who still has to develop a certain skill?

While more well-rounded players like Tyler Warren, Colston Loveland, Elijah Arroyo, or Mason Taylor may be more of an immediate fit, the Colts could decide that Fannin's potential is simply too good to pass up.

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