DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk NFL Draft 2026 Browns #9 pick Utah OT Spencer Fano

2023: Freshman All-American. Played in all 13 games with 12 starts (11 at LT, 1 at RT).
2024: Second-team Associated Press All-American. First-team All-Big 12 Conference. Started all 12 games at RT.
2025: First-team Associated Press All-American. Won the Outland Trophy (nation's top interior lineman). Big 12 OL of the Year. First-team All-Big 12. Polynesian College Co-Player of the Year with USC WR Makai Lemon. Started 12 games at RT. Team captain.
Miscellaneous: Brother, Logan, was an All-Big 12 Edge at Utah and is also a prospect in the 2026 draft class. Uncles Gabe Reid (BYU), Spencer Reid (BYU), Teni Palepoi (Utah) and Anton Palepoi (UNLV) played college football and in the NFL.

2023: Freshman All-American. Played in all 13 games with 12 starts (11 at LT, 1 at RT).
2024: Second-team Associated Press All-American. First-team All-Big 12 Conference. Started all 12 games at RT.
2025: First-team Associated Press All-American. Won the Outland Trophy (nation's top interior lineman). Big 12 OL of the Year. First-team All-Big 12. Polynesian College Co-Player of the Year with USC WR Makai Lemon. Started 12 games at RT. Team captain.
Miscellaneous: Brother, Logan, was an All-Big 12 Edge at Utah and is also a prospect in the 2026 draft class. Uncles Gabe Reid (BYU), Spencer Reid (BYU), Teni Palepoi (Utah) and Anton Palepoi (UNLV) played college football and in the NFL.

Fano is on Cleveland Browns Daily right now. He is going to be a fan favorite as long as he is at least above average. Easy to like off the jump. Good personality and says so many positive things. I have a feeling he is going to be a favorite in the locker room as well.

I listened the last time this FO said "tackles are tackles". My entire life before that I was taught and the evidence was obvious that you play your best and most talented OT on the left side unless you have a left handed QB. For some unexplained reason I allowed myself to have my mind changed the last time this happened and as it turned out "tackles weren't tackles".

When looking at the teams in the Big 12 I have no idea why people are so impressed with all of the Big 12 accolades and the most impressive award he received was the Outland Trophy which is for interior OL.

I get it, he's a jack of all trades OL player. Much like a Swiss Army Knife. I'm just not sure how that is going to transfer as a pure LT in the NFL. And if you give up the #9 pick for anything less than a LT I think you paid too much.

Like I stated above, I'm no NFL GM. I don't have their resources or their money. I don't claim to be an expert. But then truth be known neither is anyone else on this board.

At this point we just have to sit back and see how this all plays out. For everyone's sake I hope this FO is right about the LT position this time and I'm wrong. I was wrong right along with them last time.

Yep, he seems like he will follow Thomas and Bitonio in how the fan base will come to love him.

You forgot the caveat'. "as long as he is at least above average". The way this team has been assembled anyone who plays above average that doesn't have more than 26 women accusing them of sexual assault becomes a fan favorite. And who knows what will happen if he starts playing above average.

I think the "tackles are tackles" thing has been twisted into something it wasn't originally intended to be.

Wills had all the physical traits to be a starter-level LT in this league. And he was. He was good so long as he was mentally sharp/focused (which wasn't consistent enough).

I think the "tackles are tackles" thing comes from the thought that a guy can switch sides and be successful if he has the proper tools in his toolbox. Generally, having said tools puts you on the appropriate side of the line, but not always as is being alleged with Fano.

Let's let the dude at least take his first pro snap before calling him a bust.

I've tried to make it clear that I'm certainly no expert and I'm hoping I'm wrong. I won't write any of these players off as a bust until such time it seems clear they should be.

I was certainly not attempting to make any allegations in reference to him either. I simply feel in regards to LT's you need a specialist at the position and not a Swiss Army Knife type of player. While that may work in the Big 12 I'm not so sure how that will transfer to the NFL. But that's just my opinion going into this and nothing more.

Hopefully I'm wrong about that and am certainly open to happily admitting that if so.

Love how he answers questions. Back in my corporate days when I was evaluating talent I put a lot into how people answered questions. Didn't have to be super quick but I did want decisive answers. Don't answer with a questioning voice, give one answer, not a menu of possible answers. Even if you're wrong (and being open and unphased by correction is super important), just give me the one answer you think is right and don't equivocate.

He is a great kid. I only worry about his hand technique and how he trips over his own feet against faster edge rushers like baily. I wanted Monroe but if Warhop says he wants a cerrtain player at LT then you let Warhop have whoever the fug he wants and I will just shut my piehole because that is a man who knows LTs.

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/20...er-logan-as-an-undrafted-free-agent.html

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns’ NFL Draft weekend became a family affair on Saturday. They signed Logan Fano, the older brother of their first pick in the draft, Spencer Fano, a source told cleveland.com

Logan Fano is an edge rusher who, like Spencer, spent the last three years at Utah. He had 10.5 sacks over three years with the Utes. They were both team captains last season.

The 23-year-old, who spent his first two years of college at BYU, is 6-foot-4 and 257 pounds. He ran a 4.59 40-yard dash at the Combine. A hamstring injury limited what he was able to do there.

He has had three ACL injuries, missing his sophomore year of high school in 2018 with a right tear. He did it again in spring ball in 2022 at BYU and missed the season. He tore his left ACL in 2023.

The Browns traded back from No. 6 to No. 9 overall and picked Spencer as their left tackle of the future.

During his introductory press conference on Friday, Spencer’s parents weren’t in attendance, spending the day with Logan to see if he would hear his name called.

Shorter arms than any successful Left Tackle in the history of the league. No one has had arms as short as Fanos and been any good.

Slater is the exception and his arms are I think a full inch longer than Fanos.

People are slobbering this pick, but unless he is a unicorn, he will be a guard.

I get the hesitation, but I'm a little more optimistic only because I went into this off-season assuming it would take longer than 1 FA/draft to fix the Oline. We have new guys at all 5 spots. Expecting them all to come in and click was already too much.

If they settle only 4 spots along the line in one off-season, I consider that a win. If Fano slots into the RT spot and can contribute there then I think we'll be ok. That would be a disappointment for our top pick, but the draft was never going to be judged based on one pick (even one that high). IMO, as long as he becomes a starter at one of the tackle spots, I can live with that given more of our other picks also end up contributing.

Even if Fano is not the long-term answer at LT for now he'll probably be better than anyone we've had there over the last 5 years or so.

Sorry but I can't help myself here. That's like when you ask a woman why she married her husband and her reply is , "Well he's at least nice to me. My last husband beat me!"

You know, not a guy she really fell in love with but he was better than the last guy.

Well Pit, at least she's moving in a positive direction!!!

It's come out that the combine number was just flat out wrong for a lot of guys.



Daniel Jeremiah has also said the number wasn't right at the combine in one of the post draft interviews with Siciliano.

Plus, he was the most agile OL in the draft. His 7.34s 3 cone is great. Next closest OT was a 7.9s (7.46 from an OC.) He kinda is a unicorn from that perspective.

Bitonio

Oh, you mean left tackle...then yes.

I am really hesitant about his arms as well, I won't downplay it. But they say they hope to see tackles with 33+ arm length and several people re-measured his arms at his pro day and they all said 22 7/8, not 22 1/8. It doesn't end the suspicion of a very steep hill to climb, but it is something.

If Dawand Jones really is in the best shape of his career like his social media is boasting, then he can stick at LT and we can let Fano work at shutting down TJ Watt twice this year.

If Dawand can be our LT and stay healthy, 2 big ifs, then that's a real bonus!!

I hate to say this because I like Dawand, but that is a big IF ...

Saying Jones is in the best shape of his career is like saying i look good for my age,it's a very low bar.Jones doesn't have the feet to play LT.i'd love to see him at RG.
I don't know how arm length is measured,but Fano has an 80" wingspan,the two don't add up to me.Long arms are a great attribute, but strength and agility are more important.Joe Thomas and Orlando Pace only come around once in a generation.

Folks who are all in on Fano are going to blow off the arm length deal.. His college numbers come from the Big 12 ; Competition is nothing like the Big Ten or the SEC .. I think the kid has skills and will be just fine through collrge are being blown off too..e in the NFL .. You might could plug him in at Right tackle from the get go.. LT is going to be interesting watch process.. and topical Berry ,lol .m . Drops by KC in college are being blown off too. All kinds of excuses and stories .. Another interesting watch this season ..

Love the Boston and Warren pick..Kinda like the TE from Cin..

I hate to say this because I like Dawand, but that is a big IF ...

If we start Fano at LT it’s a matter of conjecture how he will do but IMO he will probably play better there than anyone since Joe Thomas. He does have the skills and our coaches wanted him.

Not that it directly means anything, but Joe Thomas' 3-Cone was 7.95
Fano's arms (with the abridged measurements mentioned) are 1-1/2" shorter than Joe's. A lot, but not overwhelming.
Same weight, 1" difference in height.
Joe has a 1" advantage in vertical, but Fano has the 1" advantage in the Broad Jump (explosiveness)
Spencer destroys Joe in the 20-Yard Shuttle (4.67 vs 4.88)

NFL.com Athleticism Scores: Joe 84, Fano 93
Production Score: Joe 99 Fano 85
Total: Joe 91 Fano 89

Fano has small hands. Only 9" vs 10 1/8 for Joe



Overall, they have a LOT of similarities and some minor differences. I'm not remotely saying that Fano will be Joe, but I'd say that enough of the tools & unteachables are there that he has a realistic shot of working toward that.

It's not a marriage (far from it... NFL stands for Not For Long).

The draft is and always has been a crapshoot. You make the best picks you can using the info you have, and then you see where it goes from there.


Joe Thomas was marriage material, but it still ended sooner than either party wanted and neither was happy with what was achieved.

Regarding Warhop...

He was the Browns offensive line coach during the Mangini (2009-2013, I believe) years.

During that time we brought in (please correct me if I'm wrong because I'm doing this off of memory and confirming with Google AI)
-Alex Mack
-Mitchell Schwartz
-John Greco (FA?)
-Shawn Lauvao
-Eric Steinback (FA)
-Jason Pinkston

There are some good-great names in that list, and the less impressive were late-round draft picks that still contributed a little.

Also some not-so great names
-John St. Claire
-Oneil Cousins


He's no Callahan, but I'll take that hit rate while we're building the Oline. Big difference is we already had our LT when he was hired.

And that left tackle publicly said he was the best OLine coach he ever had.