Spencer Fano Scouting Report

Spencer Fano has rare technical polish and is a day-one, high-floor starter who’s a savant in the run game.

Draft Grade: Round 1 - Pro-Bowl Caliber

Strengths:

Special Technical Proficiency in Run Game: From snap to finish, Fano has the best and most consistent technique as a run blocker I’ve ever scouted.

Fluid and Flexible Athlete: Great body control and bend as a blocker. Can gauge different speeds. Maintains a strong power profile with his impressive mobility and balance.

Footwork: In the run game, his efficiency in getting off the ball and closing space is outstanding. As a protector, his reactive and swift feet keep him in great position against rushers.

Elite Polish and Floor: Not the most intangibly gifted lineman, but the consistency and maturity of his game all point to a decade-long, irreplaceable starter. 

Concerns:

Size: While it’s not a factor in the run game, Fano’s smaller frame can show itself against pass rushers who can consistently get to his chest. His feet compensate well for this, but it makes the NFL tackle projection difficult.

Catching in Protection: Fano doesn’t yet seem to have a convicted and consistent strike. He consistently catches rushers rather than delivering violent, assertive strikes.

Spencer Fano Summary/Projection:

A highly-touted four-star recruit out of Utah, Spencer Fano chose to stay close to home and suit up for the Utes—and he hit the ground running. As a true freshman, he earned the starting left tackle job before switching to the right side during a stellar 2024 campaign. After earning All-American honors last season, he’s developed into one of the most impressive young offensive linemen in the country.

Fano’s identity as a football player is clear and concise. He’s built a reputation as a dependable, steady presence up front—but for me, what truly separates him from anyone I’ve evaluated is the purity and polish he brings as a run blocker.

Let me try to paint this picture the best I can: Think of him as a run-game savant. It starts with a strong, coiled stance. He has the fluidity and twitch to explode off the ball, and from there, it’s his footwork, leverage, and consistent landmarks that allow him to win angles, create vertical displacement, seamlessly climb to the second level, and finish defenders. Watching him close space on the backside of wide zone plays is a masterclass: efficient steps, subtle re-leveraging before contact, fighting to get his hat to the playside shoulder, and ultimately neutralizing defensive linemen with ease. As a playside blocker, his patience and composure stand out. He makes difficult blocks look routine.

Despite not being overwhelming from a sheer size standpoint, Fano is a true people-mover in the run game. His elite flexibility, body control, and short-area twitch become weapons when paired with his refined technique and discipline.

Where questions do arise is in pass protection. I’m not fully sold on him sticking at tackle in the NFL. Too often, it felt like he was catching in protection. His feet are plenty quick to mirror rushers, but he doesn’t consistently play long or violently with his hands. He’s rarely beaten outright, but against top-tier NFL edge threats, I question whether his current hand usage and anchor are sustainable.

That said, this isn’t a fatal flaw. If Fano can develop a more defined, accurate strike and learn to play with more assertiveness at the point of attack, he’ll become a more complete player. And even if that development takes time, a move to the interior might be the ideal way to maximize what he already does at a high level.

I can’t see a scenario where Fano falls out of the first round. He’s the kind of offensive lineman you plug in for 10 years and never look back. If he makes the move to center and maintains his level of play, there’s a strong case he could become one of the best center prospects we’ve seen in a long time. Regardless of where he lines up, one thing is clear: I want this guy on my team.