In the NFL world, it’s hard to be patient with a player selected inside the top 10 of the NFL Draft. Generally, those players arrive with heavy expectations and are immediately thrown into the fire as soon as voluntary OTAs.
The Cleveland Browns are no different. Spencer Fano, their No. 9 overall draft pick this year, is slated to enter Week 1 of his rookie season as the Browns’ starting left tackle.
But Fano wasn’t just pushed into the deep end to sink or swim this offseason. Head coach Todd Monken and the Browns took things slow with their most important 2026 addition, per ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi, and he should be better for it come training camp after truly earning his way onto the field.
“The Browns brought Fano along slowly as he got up to speed with the Browns' playbook, but by the time mandatory minicamp ended, Fano was getting consistent reps at left tackle with the starting offense," Oyefusi wrote. "Coach Todd Monken said he already views Fano as one of the team's five starting linemen.”
The Browns intentionally slowed Spencer Fano down, and it may have accelerated his development
The Browns made Fano the first offensive lineman taken in the 2026 draft. They first traded down the board from No. 6 overall to No. 9, though, which kind of illustrates how the top tier of this year’s offensive line class was viewed league-wide.
The fact that none of the other top tackle prospects came off the board before Cleveland picked at No. 9 was telling. Cleveland was ultimately comfortable knowing that one of Fano, Francis Mauigoa, and Kadyn Proctor would be available at No. 9 overall, but every one of those prospects came with warning signs from draft analysts.
For Fano, similar to the Patriots’ Will Campbell last year, much of the concern revolved around his combine measurements aligning closer to guard in the NFL, and him playing no snaps at left tackle since he was a true freshman at Utah in 2023.
So it made perfect sense for Monken to start Fano with the second unit during OTAs, taking some of the pressure off as he transitioned to the left side of the line.
Elsewhere around the NFL, Mauigoa (a right tackle for the Miami Hurricanes) slotted in immediately as the New York Giants’ starting right guard, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. Olaivavega Ioane, who was the No. 14 overall pick behind Fano, Mauigoa, and Proctor, worked with the Ravens’ first-team offense throughout the spring, according to beat writer Jamison Hensley.
Spencer Fano could benefit from opening his rookie season in a reserve role
In a perfect world, the Browns could even take their patient approach with Fano a step further. There’s no law that says they have to throw him onto the field as a Week 1 starter. If a wild-card veteran like Dawand Jones emerges in training camp, Cleveland could at least consider using Fano as more of a swing tackle early, with an eye on easing him into the lineup during what figures to be a developmental year for the Browns’ offense.
Cleveland will face some of the NFL’s premier pass rushers over its first 10 weeks of the season, including Travon Walker, T.J. Watt (twice), Trey Hedrickson, Cameron Jordan, and Will Anderson. Those could prove to be valuable matchups for Fano if he can prove he’s ready for the challenge this summer. Otherwise, they could easily set up a debut season that falls well short of expectations.
The Browns seem to be aligned about where they are entering training camp, and where they want to be in the future. Fano will play a huge hand in whether Cleveland ultimately gets there.
The smart money is on Fano earning his current spot as the Browns' starting left tackle from Week 1 on. It's still a great sign that the team doesn’t appear to be forcing the issue with their new franchise cornerstone.
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