The Cleveland Browns needed one more piece to round out their offensive line this offseason. Knowing how the board was shaping up, they were bold enough to trade down three spots and still land their guy.
Spencer Fano was the first offensive lineman off the board, and he's certainly living up to that status. As stacked as his class was at the tackle position, the rookie out of Utah has made a seamless transition to the left side in the pros.
It's been six weeks, and Fano continues to turn heads every time he sets foot on the field. After an up-and-down debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he's been lights-out in his last five starts.
Spencer Fano is already looking like the Browns' long-term answer at left tackle
According to Pro Football Focus, Fano has a 69.3 overall grade, which ranks 24th among 74 eligible players. However, the actual raw data shows better production than PFF's algorithm.
Over six weeks, the No. 9 overall pick has allowed a grand total of 12 pressures, including 11 hurries and one sack. That's two pressures per game, which is excellent for a rookie left tackle. It's even more impressive when you consider that half of Fano's total pressures allowed came in a single game (Week 3 vs. Carolina).
Other than that, Fano has gone two games without allowing a single pressure, and he's only allowed more than two pressures twice in his first six career games. He's been dealt some tough matchups, but he's held his ground more often than not.
Fano has also been called for just two penalties, one of which was declined.
Deshaun Watson has never been known for his quick decision-making. Also, he tends to take around eight steps on every dropback, making life difficult for his offensive linemen who are trying to give him a clean pocket. Even so, Fano has pushed guys out of the way to keep his quarterback's blindside clean way more often than not.
Watson is averaging 3.1 seconds to throw, which isn't particularly quick (in fact, it's tied for the third-slowest rate in the NFL). That stat illustrates how well the offensive line is holding up, though.
All rookies go through growing pains, and Fano hasn't been perfect. But with one-third of his first pro season already in the books, Fano is looking even better than advertised and like a true offensive pillar for years to come.
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