As widely predicted, the Cleveland Browns traded down from No. 6 to No. 9, acquiring the pick from the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

With that pick, the Browns drafted Utah Utes' offensive lineman Spencer Fano. And with that, the 21-year-old cemented his place in the history books, becoming the third offensive tackle from Utes to be selected in the first round.

He joined Jordan Gross, picked eighth overall by the Panthers in 2003, and Garett Bolles, picked No. 20 by the Denver Broncos in 2017.

In the 2025 season, Fano allowed just five total pressures in pass protection with zero sacks and hits allowed. That earned him an 83.9 overall PFF grade.

Interestingly, Fano was the Utah Utes’ starting left tackle in his freshman year and then shifted to right tackle for the next two years.

He played all 37 games as a Ute, and his consistent performance made him one of the top-graded offensive linemen in the Pac-12 and the Big 12. 

In 2025, Fano was a part of the unit that was named for the Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll.

The same year, he became the first Utah Utes player to win the prestigious Outland Trophy and was also named the co-Polynesian College Football Player of the Year. 

The Browns’ head coach, Todd Monken, said that they chose Fano because of his personality traits and athleticism.

"His character was first, I mean, the way he's wired," Monken said. "His athleticism, his toughness, I mean, when you want to start off the first year of your regime, you talk about what you want: character, toughness, athleticism, he has it all."

Fano will now play at left tackle for the Browns. He comes from a family with football ties.

A Football Family That Shaped Spencer Fano's Journey

Spencer Fano, born in 2004, comes from a Polynesian family that was highly influenced by football.

He and his brother, Logan Fano, were coached by their father, Bingham Fano. Logan was the edge rusher on the Utah Utes team.

“I think the most off-the-wall question I’ve gotten from a lot of teams is who would win in a fight?” Logan said as per Fox Sports. “Things just get super competitive. It’s fun.”

While their sister, Shalyn, is a basketball player and has played at Utah Valley University from 2020 to 2023 and at Grand Canyon from 2023-24, per Kelsey Russo of Clevelandbrowns.com.

At Timpview High School, the Fano brothers learned the basics of blocking and pass rushing. At 6'6" and 308 lbs, Fano is a formidable presence on the field.

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Written by

Naomi Grace

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore