Spencer Fano’s draft case is simple: “I’ll do what I need to be great”
Mar 19, 2026, 2:57 PM
Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano at Utah Pro Day. Photo courtesy by Utah Athletics.
SALT LAKE CITY — For Spencer Fano, Utah’s Pro Day wasn’t about proving he belongs. At this point, there’s nothing left to uncover about Spencer Fano — only whether teams are willing to trust what they already see.
After a standout NFL Combine performance that confirmed his elite athletic profile — including a 4.91-second 40-yard dash that ranked among the best for offensive linemen — Utah’s All-American tackle arrived at Pro Day with something different to prove.
Fano continues to check the boxes as he and others progress towards draft day.
Spencer Fano, built for the big stage
The pre-draft process has looked exactly how Fano wanted it to look — stripped down to the essentials.
“It’s been awesome,” Fano said. “I get to just do football now… nothing other than that, just football every day.”
No classes. No noise. Just refinement. And for offensive linemen, that’s where careers are made.
This isn’t a position where you win scouts over with hype. You win them over with efficiency — footwork, balance, leverage, hand placement. The details.
Fano doubled down on that approach — and then backed it up in Indianapolis. At the NFL Combine, he tested like one of the most athletic offensive linemen in the class:
- 4.91 40-yard dash (elite for OL; tied near the top of the group)
- 1.72 10-yard split (explosiveness — top tier among linemen)
- 32” vertical, 9’3” broad jump (confirmed lower-body power)
At 6-foot-5, 311 pounds, that profile matters. It’s why he didn’t just hold his stock — he strengthened it as an offensive lineman.
The only question — and why it might not matter
There is one data point that keeps coming up in draft rooms: 32 1/8-inch arms.
That measurement came at the NFL Combine, which has a growing reputation for measuring shorter than Pro Day and All-Star events. Still, coming in below the traditional NFL threshold for tackles, 33 inches, it’s why some evaluators project a move inside.
But here’s the reality — and it’s where this gets interesting:
- Fano allowed zero sacks and zero QB hits in 2025 across 300+ pass-block snaps. And gave up just three throughout his three seasons and over 2,200 snaps played.
- He’s consistently graded as one of the most efficient pass protectors in college football
- His athletic testing ranked among the best offensive linemen at the combine.
However, at pro day, Fano’s arms measured 32 7/8 inches, which closes the gap on that apparently absolutely critical threshold for offensive tackles.
Utah OL Spencer Fano’s arms measured 32 7/8 just now at his pro day, up from 32 1/8 at the Combine. Another indication that, for whatever reason, the measurements in Indy were short for a number of prospects. That’s a big 3/4 inch difference for Fano. pic.twitter.com/ddJXAljtKM
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 19, 2026
Measurables vs. tape. And right now, the tape is winning. Fano addressed it the way teams want to hear.
“I think I’ll play my best ball at tackle,” he said, but he didn’t stop there. “If you want me to go run routes, I’ll run routes… I’m fine playing anywhere.”
“I’m an energy bringer… I’ll be out there yelling my head off every play.”
Followed by the line that matters most: “I’ll do what I need to do to be great.”
Draft reality for Utah’s star tackle
Spencer Fano is not fighting to get drafted. He’s fighting for where in the first round he lands.
- Some mocks have him as high as top-5 overall
- Others consistently place him inside the top 10–15 range
- There are scenarios where he’s the first offensive lineman off the board
That kind of positioning doesn’t happen by accident, it’s obviously earned. That happens when you check three boxes NFL teams prioritize:
- Production — multi-year starter, elite pass protection
- Traits — high-end movement skills for the position
- Projection — ability to start early, not develop for years
Once a Ute, always a Ute
For Fano, the evaluation isn’t just individual — it’s tied to where he comes from.
“It’s so awesome… I get to rep the Utes everywhere I go,” Fano shared. “I can’t wait to start making bets with teammates on who wins and who loses has to wear the other jersey.”
He developed in one of the most cohesive offensive line rooms in college football — alongside players like Caleb Lomu.
“We met at that USC game… ever since then he’s been one of my best friends,” Fano shared. That USC game just happened to be Utah’s 43-42 win in Rice Eccles Stadium back in 2022.
That continuity between those two, and the other three linemen showed up on film the last two seasons.
Offensive line play is built on trust, communication, and reps — and Utah had all three. Pro Day felt like a final chapter for that group.
“Just being with all the boys today has been great, got one last work in with O Block,” he shared.
What Comes Next
Now the process shifts — and this is where draft positions actually start to move. From workouts to meetings, no more testing but interviewing and finding the right fit.
“Just work out, talk football, and see where I’m living in a few months,” Fano said of what’s next for him in this process.
But behind that, the reality is anything but simple. Because once Pro Day ends, the league turns into a series of closed-door evaluations — and for prospects like Fano, this is the phase that can quietly lock in where you go.
Every team gets a limited number of official pre-draft visits — up to 30 players brought into the building for a full-day evaluation. A player walks into the facility, and from that point on, everything is being evaluated:
- How he processes protections on the whiteboard.
- How he sees pressure when the film rolls.
- How he communicates football in real time.
- How he carries himself in a room full of decision-makers.
And it’s why this stretch — quiet as it looks from the outside — is where draft boards go through their final adjustments.
The Bottom Line
At this point, there’s nothing left to uncover about Spencer Fano — only whether teams are willing to trust what they already see. The tape is clean, the testing checks out, and the production spans three years against real competition. This phase of the process isn’t about discovery anymore. It’s about conviction.
That’s what these final weeks are built for. Teams bring in a limited group of prospects — up to 30 — for in-house visits that function as full-day interviews, digging into football IQ, personality, and fit within the building . It’s not about running faster or lifting more. It’s about proving you can walk into a room and handle everything that comes with being an NFL starter.
And for Fano, there just isn’t much left to debate. The arm length conversation will hang around, but it’s outweighed by consistency, efficiency, and readiness. This isn’t about whether he goes early — it’s about which team is comfortable making him their answer up front from Day 1.
