The Cleveland Browns felt very good about their selection of Spencer Fano at No. 9 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. They were widely praised for being able to trade down and still get the offensive line prospect they wanted.
After the draft, Browns head coach Todd Monken said the intention is to use Fano at left tackle, even though he played his last two college seasons at Utah on the right side. He also has some physical measurements that could make the transition more difficult than it appears to the casual fan.
With that in mind, longtime analyst Greg Cosell recently revealed a surprising opinion about Fano, saying he may be better suited to playing center in the NFL.
“I came away from watching Fano thinking his best position could be offensive center. That may not happen, and he may end up being a very good tackle,” Cosell said.
That could turn out to be a devastating development for the Browns if that is where Fano spends his career. Teams almost never select a true center in the top 10 picks of a draft. In fact, none has been taken that high since 1968. Recent multiple Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum was the No. 25 overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Fano was more than up to the challenge of playing right tackle in college, after playing on the left side as a freshman. Last season, he did not allow a sack or a quarterback hit, and gave up just five pressures in 822 snaps.
However, there are some concerns about his arm length and how that relates to playing tackle in the NFL. He measured 32-1/8 inches at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, and according to Cosell, only six out of the 64 starting tackles across the league last season have an arm length of less than 33 inches.
As a counter to that, Fano has shown great athleticism, with a physical testing score that ranks among the best in decades. That points to a versatility that could be beneficial to the Browns as they look to put their best five offensive linemen on the field, regardless of position.
Cleveland also selected potential starting center Parker Brailsford in the fifth round, which could create some complications if Fano has to move to that spot.
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