Cleveland Browns Andrew Berry continued to prioritize the offensive line on night one of the NFL Draft, selecting Spencer Fano with the No. 9 overall pick.
For months, the debate over which need the Cleveland Browns would address first in the NFL Draft left the fan base divided, an answer has arrived.
Executive Vice President of Football Operations Andrew Berry used the ninth overall pick in the NFL Draft to select Utah tackle Spencer Fano. The decision came after Berry executed a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs to move back from No. 6 overall to No. 9 overall, adding picks 74 and 141 in the process.
Fano comes to Cleveland after serving as a three-year starter at Utah. In his freshman season, Fano served as the Utes' starting left tackle for 11 games in 202, earning Freshman All-American honors.
He moved to the right tackle spot for his sophomore and junior seasons, where he started a combined 24 games. In 2024 he was recognized with Second-Team AP All-American honors, along with being named First-team All-Big 12.
This past season repeated those accolades, while also being awarded the Outland Trophy nation's top interior lineman, and was recognized as the Big 12 OL of the Year as well.
That versatility is something that's been of value to the Browns throughout the offseason as they worked to rebuild their offensive line. Head coach Todd Monken confirmed that Fano will be the team's starting left tackle.
Wide receiver was one of the biggest needs Cleveland had entering draft weekend. Drafting Tate leaves offensive tackle as the team's biggest remaining hole, but it's unclear if Berry will target that spot with the team's second first-rounder at 24 overall. Trading up from that spot could also be an option.
Beyond the first round, the Browns now hold nine additional picks across the entire weekend. After the trade with Kansas City, that haul of selections includes pick 39 in the second round, picks 70 and 74 in the third round, pick 107 in the fourth round, three fifth round selections at 141, 146 and 149, pick 206 in the sixth round and pick 248 in the seventh round.
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