The Cleveland Browns had an exciting 2025 NFL Draft, and with the two quarterback selections in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders combined with the trade down from No. 2 to take Mason Graham at No. 5, it’s easy to gloss over all the other impactful moves the team made over the weekend.
One of those moves was drafting Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. in the third round, who set all-time FBS records for a tight end with 117 catches and 1,555 yards last season, but he won’t be the only exciting rookie tight end at rookie minicamp.
Tom Pelissero shared on X that the Browns have invited St. Norbert tight end Mitch Van Vooren to rookie camp.
“Mitch Van Vooren didn’t hear his own name called last week, but his NFL story isn’t over: He’s been invited to #Browns minicamp, where he’ll catch passes from Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders as a tryout player,” Pelissero posted on X.
Van Vooren was never firmly on anyone’s draft radar, given he played two years at Norbert College, but it’s always nice to see a story like this.
Pelissero shared a clip of him announcing a Miami Dolphins pick at the 2016 draft, and the pick was tight end Thomas Duarte, nine years ahead of him joining the NFL as a tight end in his own right.
Before playing football at Norbert, Van Vooren received four varsity letters at Marquette as a track star, where he broke the school record in the 400-meter hurdles at 51.38 seconds.
The chances of Van Vooren making the roster are slim given the presence of Njoku and Fannin, but that’s what minicamp is for.
Maybe Van Vooren can shock the world.