Our 2026 Pride of Detroit Community Mock is well underway, and over the past week, we have seen members of our community make selections for the first 16 picks, putting the Detroit Lions on the clock. (Track each pick here.)
As we do every year in this exercise, we picked a handful of players that Lions fans may want the team to select and published a poll for the community to vote on. The results of this poll show that the majority of votes were cast for Utah right tackle Spencer Fano. As is tradition, I made my selection before the voting began, but my vision aligns with the fan base, and with pick No. 17 in the 2026 NFL Draft, I have the Detroit Lions selecting…
Spencer Fano, RT, Utah
Fano has consistently lived near or at the top of the offensive tackle rankings for the majority of this draft cycle, but a questionable arm length measurement at the NFL Combine raised some unanticipated questions that could potentially impact his draft stock. It’s not clear if that played a factor in this year’s POD fan mock draft, but if this scenario plays out in the actual NFL Draft, I believe the Lions would jump at the opportunity to land a foundational offensive tackle.
Draft analyst rankings
- Mike Renner (CBS Sports): OT2, 5th overall
- Dane Brugler (The Athletic): OT1, 8th overall
- Todd McShay (McShay Report, via Ringer): OT2, 12th overall
- Trevor Sikkema (most recently with PFF): OT1, 13th overall
- Brandon Thorn (Bleacher Report): OT1, 8.1 grade, 1st round grade (13th on BR’s board)
- Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com): OT2, 13th overall
- Jordan Reid (ESPN): OT2, 16th overall
- Lance Zierlein (NFL.com): OT3, 6.44 grade, equivalent to roughly a top-16 pick in this class
Excerpt from Renner:
“He’s on the trimmer side for the position and does his best work out in space. His ability to locate and engage in the run game is second to none in this class. Teams that run a lot of outside zone should have him as the No. 1 lineman on their board.”
Excerpt from Brugler:
“An impressive athlete for the position, Fano is quick out of his stance in pass protection and has the bend, balance and sudden hands to neutralize different types of rushers. When Utah needed a yard, it ran behind the efficient footwork and hips of No. 55 — especially on power-play skip-pulls, on which Fano could fit up defenders and take them for a ride.”
Measurables
(Note: I added in Fano’s 30 bench press reps from his pro day to his official RAS card to generate an updated “unofficial” score.)
Overall, Fano tested as an elite athlete for his position, and whether you’ve studied his tape or just watched his movement skills at the NFL Combine, you can clearly see that those numbers check out. The elephant in the room here is Fano’s arm length. So, let’s discuss it a bit further.
The average arm length of an NFL offensive tackle exceeds 34 inches, and most NFL teams establish a 33-inch threshold for the position. At the NFL Combine, Fano’s arm length measured 32 1/8-inches, suggesting that at the NFL level, he will struggle to land his strikes on edge rushers. However, there were many complaints that the measurements at this year’s Combine were shorter than anticipated, based on comparable measurements from previous events, such as the Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game. Then, at Utah’s Pro Day, Fano’s arm length measured 32 7/8 inches, a significant jump that would bring him close to most teams’ minimums.
The Lions certainly have minimum measurements they use, but based on their previous drafting strategies, they’ve shown they’re flexible if a player’s talent justifies the selection. For example, much was made of Aidan Hutchinson’s 32 1/8 inch arm length, potentially limiting his ability to rush the passer, but that didn’t stop the Lions from selecting him with the second overall pick in 2022. Additionally, Penei Sewell’s 33 1/4 inch arm length was also considered less than ideal, and newly signed Larry Borum’s arm length is just 33 1/8 inches.
Bottom line, Fano’s talent is too good to pass up, even if his arm length is less than ideal.
Schematic fit and statistics
- Games played/started: 37/37
- Right tackle snaps: 1550
- Left tackle snaps: 542
- PFF 2025 pass block grade: 81.5
- PFF 2025 run block grade: 80
- PFF 2025 zone run block grade: 79.4
- PFF 2025 gap run block grade: 80
- PFF sacks allowed in 2025: 0
- PFF QB hits allowed in 2025: 0
- PFF sacks allowed in career: 3
- Awards: First-team AP All-American 2025 and 2024, Freshman All-American 2023, Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award 2025, Outland trophy winner 2025 (Best lineman in college football)
As a true freshman, Fano started at left tackle for the Utes, but switched to right tackle after Caleb Lomu was inserted into the starting lineup. Lomu was a much better left than right tackle, while Fano proved position flexible with no drop off in play when switching sides. Essentially, the Utah coaches flipped Fano to the right side to get their best five offensive linemen on the field, not because Fano showed any struggles at left tackle.
Utah’s blocking scheme translates very well to the professional level, and Fano has shown consistency and balance in his production. Not only did his pass protection improve each season (two sacks allowed as a freshman, one as a sophomore, and zero as a junior), but he also displayed the ability to work in zone and gap rushing schemes with efficiency.
The Lions have primarily been a zone-rushing team since taking over, but they also blend in gap- and duo-blocking game plans depending on the opponent. The introduction of offensive coordinator Drew Petzing could alter how much the Lions deploy each blocking scheme, but he plans to adapt to what the players do well, so there likely won’t be too many changes. Fano’s experience and production at Utah would help him quickly acclimate to the Lions’ scheme.
Time to grade the Lions’ pick. Offer a score in the poll below and share your expanded thoughts in the comment section:
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