Story perspectives

Browns Trade Down, Draft Spencer Fano at No. 9

4/25/2026

Summary

Browns Draft Fano

The Browns chose Spencer Fano with the No. 9 pick after trading down from No. 6 to No. 9 and gaining extra third- and fifth-round picks.
Coach Todd Monken confirmed Fano will start at left tackle, matching GM Andrew Berry’s view.
Scouts praised his 32 1/8-inch arm, 6-foot-5 height, 311-pound weight and athletic footwork.
Cleveland added Tytus Howard, Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins while retaining the No. 24 pick and the third- and fifth-round selections.

Summary

Browns Tackle Dominates

He played 822 snaps in 2025, allowed zero sacks and quarterback hits, and gave up five pressures (0.6%).
His Relative Athletic Score of 9.80 is the highest for a Browns first-round tackle since 2000, second only to Myles Garrett’s 9.99.
He earned unanimous All-American honors in 2025, becoming the fifth Utah Ute ever, and said he’s thrilled not to block Myles Garrett on Sundays while calling Joe Thomas the best ever.

Summary

Browns Hire Bloomgren

The Cleveland Browns hired former Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren as offensive line coach after a 5-12 2025 season.
The 2026 NFL Draft was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from April 23–25 and televised on ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network.
Spencer Fano became the fifth family member to reach the NFL, earned Polynesian Player of the Year and the Outland Trophy, and was first offensive lineman taken ninth overall in the draft.

History

Historical Context

In 1999 the NFL reactivated the Cleveland Browns as a re-started franchise after a 1996 deactivation, awarding Al Lerner’s new ownership a $530 million purchase and the first overall draft pick, Tim Couch. The team’s early reliance on top-draft talent resurfaced in 2026 when the Browns selected offensive tackle Spencer Fano ninth overall, echoing the 1999 rebuild strategy.

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Browns Draft Fano

The Browns chose Spencer Fano with the No. 9 pick after trading down from No. 6 to No. 9 and gaining extra third- and fifth-round picks.
Coach Todd Monken confirmed Fano will start at left tackle, matching GM Andrew Berry’s view.
Scouts praised his 32 1/8-inch arm, 6-foot-5 height, 311-pound weight and athletic footwork.
Cleveland added Tytus Howard, Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins while retaining the No. 24 pick and the third- and fifth-round selections.

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