Getty
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 30: Spencer Fano #55 of the Utah Utes llines up on the defensive line during the second half of a game against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl Stadium on August 30, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Browns arguably had a better top 10 than any team in this year’s NFL draft.
Cleveland picked up assets in Rounds 3 and 5 (Nos. 74 and 148) from the Kansas City Chiefs for moving down three spots from No. 6 overall to No. 9 via a trade, staying inside the top 10 by the end of the process.
The Browns needed to fill major roster gaps at offensive tackle and wide receiver heading into Round 1 on Thursday night, April 23 and were able to select the first OT off the board with the 9th pick, landing Spencer Fano of Utah.
Fano was the No. 8 overall player on the draft board of The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, who also had Fano as the top offensive tackle/lineman in the 2026 class. He played left tackle to open his collegiate career, starting there immediately as a freshman, before switching to right tackle over the past two years.
“[Fano] moved to his more natural right tackle spot the past two seasons and became just the fifth unanimous All-American in school history (and the first on offense),” Brugler wrote. “He also became the first Utah player to win the Outland Trophy and was the second of Polynesian descent to win the honor (Penei Sewell).”
Fano has the feet, demeanor and recovery balance of a starting NFL tackle,” Brugler continued. “He has the talent to be an immediate NFL starter at right tackle or guard.”
The author will update this post.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group's family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible