Bottom Line
Last pick of the class (TE20 of 20, 3rd-percentile model) lands in Cleveland behind breakout sophomore Harold Fannin on a seventh-round flier — the athletic profile flashes but the production and route tree don't. Hard pass in dynasty rookie drafts; deep-league watchlist only.
Team Fit & Opportunity
Cleveland used pick 248 on a developmental Y-tight end behind Harold Fannin, with Blake Whiteheart, Brenden Bates, and Jack Stoll rounding out the room. The 85 vacated targets are real, but Fannin is locked in as the move TE and Jerry Jeudy/Cedric Tillman/Isaiah Bond own the perimeter looks. Ryan's path is in-line blocker and TE3 special-teamer in year one. With Shedeur Sanders likely starting, the offense skews intermediate — not a target-tree that bails out a fourth tight end.
Talent Profile
The frame (6'4", 250) and explosion testing (81st percentile) plus athleticism score (82nd) explain why a team spent a pick on him at all — there's a movement profile worth developing. But the model has him at the 3rd percentile overall because the production (34th) and route versatility (29th) are bottom-of-class, and at age 22 with a 7th-round landing spot, the runway is short. The 68th-percentile YPRR-over-expected hints at efficiency on limited usage, but small samples on TE-friendly schemes don't extrapolate well.
Strengths
- Movement skills for the size: 81st-percentile explosiveness on a 250-pound frame is the rare trait that keeps developmental TEs employed past year two.
- Efficiency when targeted: 68th-percentile YPRR-over-expected suggests he wasn't the problem when BYU schemed him touches.
- Blocking-viable build: 6'4"/250 is true Y-TE size, which gets him on special teams and short-yardage packages immediately in Cleveland.
Concerns
- Bottom-of-class production: 34th-percentile production and TE20 of 20 model rank — there's no college résumé to project from.
- Limited route tree: 29th-percentile route versatility caps the receiving ceiling; he's a seam-and-flat option, not a chess piece.
- Depth chart and capital: Pick 248 behind a 2025 breakout in Fannin means he needs an injury and a leap just to see snaps.
Historical Comp Read
Darnell Washington (90% similarity) is the cleanest read — a massive, athletic Y-TE who's carved out a legitimate NFL blocking role with sporadic receiving usage in Pittsburgh, but zero fantasy relevance through three seasons. James Mitchell (86%, 10% model) was a similar low-production athlete who washed out. George Kittle is a paper match but Kittle had an 81% model score and obvious tape traits Ryan doesn't show. The signal here is "NFL roster body," not "fantasy asset."
Outlook
Year one is TE3 reps, blocking packages, and special teams — zero fantasy footprint. The three-year arc realistically tops out as a TE2/blocking specialist who steals 3-5 TDs in a good year if Fannin misses time. Catalyst: a Fannin injury combined with a Kevin Stefanski-style 12-personnel pivot. Collapse trigger: he's a camp cut by 2027 if the blocking doesn't translate. Don't roster outside of 30+ man taxi squads.