Offensive Tackle Spencer Fano Sets the Edge

Utah right tackle Spencer Fano is unique.

He’s strong.

He’s flexible.

Fano is the most athletic right tackle I’ve ever evaluated from the waist down. He moves like an overgrown tight-end.

Is he perfect?

Nope.

Nobody is.

In the book that taught me to scout when I was 17, Secrets of an NFL Scout, Tony Razzano said that there are no 10s.

How true, how true...

How close is he?

Pass blocking, he’s a 7.

Run blocking, I’d give him a 6.

All scouting jargon aside ⎯

Can we win with him?

That’s the question my NFL Scouting mentor used to ask his staff.

My answer ⎯

Yes.

Why?

Because Fano plays football like it’s important to him.

How can you tell?

It shows up on film in a variety of ways.

In pass protection, there were some plays when he was initially beaten, but he still showed the ability to recover and win.

⎯ And it really showed on the film in his run blocking.

This is less glamorous than pass blocking for the big boys in the trenches, and Fano really seems to enjoy this part of the game.

Fano especially loves pancake blocks when he can drive defenders into the ground like he’s trying to bury them alive.

My kind of guy.

Pass Pro

That stands for pass protection.

And let’s not kid ourselves ⎯

While run blocking in the NFL is important, this is a passing league, and teams are after offensive tackles who can seal off the pocket against the wily pass-rushing demons in today’s game.

Set-hut.

Like poetry in motion, Fano kicks out while maintaining a nice, sturdy base, hands in ready position, mirroring the man he’s matched up against. He has fast lateral footwork that allows him to naturally slide toward the back door of the pocket while walling off access to his quarterback.

If the pass rusher switches it up and tries anything fancy, Fano can usually match dance steps with his athletic feet.

He’s tough to get around.

And nobody proved they could bull rush him like he’s some kind of red cape.

Weaknesses

I said, “Tough to get around.” I didn’t say impossible.

2025 Pro Football Focus (Pass Pro):

• 382 snaps
• 0 sacks
• 0 QB hits allowed
• 5 QB hurries
• 99.3 % efficiency

Three things that caused problems for Fano:

• Blitzes on his side of the line (Problematic 8x)
• His inside shoulder gap was too vulnerable
• Spin moves (4x)

Fano seems really dialed in to the man across from him. Sometimes too dialed in.

NFL projection

While his performance looks pretty good much of the time ⎯

Sometimes it’s not, but even when it’s not, Fano finds a way to win a lot of these with his mix of size, speed, strength, effort, “crazy,” and elite athletic ability.

Fano has a rare combination of finesse and physical brutality.

This guy is like a joker in a deck of cards, and a bodyguard rolled into one. He’s the type of right tackle who could probably even slide over to the left side if need be.

He’s the type of tackle a team will select and throw away the key.

#55 Spencer Fano 6-foot-6, 302 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2026 NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First Round prospect as of January 29, 2026

Utah Right Tackle Spencer Fano is Dominant (2024: 12 games evaluated)

2025 game film evaluated: UCLA, Cal Poly, Wyoming, Texas Tech, West Virginia, ASU, BYU, Colorado, Cincinnati, Baylor, Kansas State, and Kansas (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

37 games played with 35 starts (11 starts at left tackle)

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Loves bully ball. Lean iron-clad frame. Twitchy. Understands the art of leverage. Can be an electric blocker. Midseason lull (BYU, Colorado, and Cincinnati). Quick choppy pass pro feet. No crossover setting up. Can overcommit outside. Handles “X” stunts. Slower-developing loop stunts from the inside proved to be more challenging for him. Aggressive positional run blocker with leverage. Pulls. Gets out in space with ease. Good at combos and double teams. Inconsistent sustain without leverage. Plays through pain.

Final words

Fano brings a defensive mentality to the offensive side of the ball.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.