A recent Sports Illustrated Mock Draft suggested the Detroit Lions trade up to target Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano. A complex trade scenario was proposed that would allow Brad Holmes to draft the talented Utah prospect who is projected to be off the board before the Lions’ number 17 pick. Fano is athletically gifted and one of the Draft’s top offensive linemen, but is he worth Holmes trading up to acquire him?
Is Utah OL Spencer Fano Worth Detroit Trading Up in the Draft?
After a sensational showing at the NFL Combine, Fano, a 6’5 1/2”, 311lb. Junior from Spanish Fork, Utah, is one of the most athletically gifted offensive linemen in years. Coming from a strong football background, he grew up surrounded by several NFL players in the family. Projected to be an immediate NFL starter, the former team captain amassed a truckload of awards and accolades during his three years as a UTE. He was a First-team AP All-American and won the 2025 Outland Trophy, awarded to the nation’s top interior lineman.
At the NFL Combine, Fano placed 1st among all competing offensive linemen. He scored a 93 in Athleticism, an 85 in Production, and finished the day with an overall grade of 89. Fano clocked the second-fastest 40-yard dash, and his impressive 7:34 time in the three-cone drill placed 1st.
What Fano Brings to Detroit
A desirable prospect for Detroit, Fano is experienced at playing both tackle positions. He appeared in 37 career games for the UTEs, including 35 starts, split between the tackle positions. Slotting him in at left tackle to replace Taylor Decker is an extremely attractive option for Detroit and alleviates the need to move Pro Bowler Penei Sewell from right tackle.
According to Fano’s nfldraftbuzz.com profile, he surrendered zero sacks with just five pressures and five hurries in his junior year while playing in 357 pass blocking snaps.
As talented as Fano is, there are concerns about his lean frame and undesirably short arm length. Fano bulked up, adding nine pounds to his frame before the NFL Combine. Based on his outstanding performance, he didn’t sacrifice any speed or athleticism.
However, there are concerns about Fano’s lean frame and his undesirably short arm length. Addressing the concern about his slender build, he bulked up, adding nine pounds ahead of the Combine. Noting his outstanding performance, he didn’t sacrifice any speed or agility. According to Nfldraftbuzz.com, this suggests Fano can add more weight at the next level without it negatively impacting his performance.
The bigger concern for Fano is his short arm length. Measuring just over 32 inches, his arms are among the shortest in his Draft class and well below the NFL standard.
The Spencer Fano /Caleb Lomu Connection
As a college freshman, Fano was the starting left tackle. However, in 2024, he was moved to right tackle when Caleb Lomu proved a better fit on the left side. In 2025, Lomu played 823 offensive snaps. 800 of those snaps were at left tackle, with only 18 played at RT. According to PFF.com, Fano played 822 snaps in 2025 with 777 at right tackle.
Fano had the rare distinction of playing alongside another elite offensive line talent who is also projected to be a first-round draft pick. For two offensive linemen from the same program to be Top 20 Draft picks in the same year is so unusual, it’s only happened five times in the last 25 years.
However, for the UTEs, it was the ideal situation. Working together, Fano and Lomu pushed each other to even greater success. Similarly, Al-Quaden Muhammad became a perfect complement to Aidan Hutchinson. The pair achieved career-high sack rates together. But the question is, will Fano be that good without Lomu?
The Lions Offensive Line After Free Agency
Last year, as a rookie, Tate Ratledge proved to be one of the stronger players on Detroit’s offensive line, earning a respectable 70.3 overall grade. However, Christian Mahogany’s production from 2024 to 2025 dipped dramatically following his return from injury. He earned a 91.5 overall grade, PFF score in 2024. Last year, playing 699 offensive snaps, Mahogany dropped to a 59.7 overall grade with a 40.7 pass-blocking grade. He surrendered 27 pressures and six sacks.
During free agency, Holmes prioritized overhauling the offensive line. His biggest acquisition was signing center Cade Mays. He added veteran offensive linemen Larry Borom, Juice Scruggs, and Ben Bartch to join Ratledge and Mahogany.
Is Trading Up for Fano A Good Move for Detroit?
Nfldraftbuzz.com concludes that Fano is a weapon for a zone-heavy scheme that values movement and athleticism over pure length. This would fit well with the Lions’ offensive scheme, which depends on a strong offensive line to exploit the ground game and Jared Goff’s precision passing attack.
However, the SI Trade scenario proposal has Holmes surrendering the 17th and 50th selections to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for the 11th, the 111th, and the 151st picks. Since the Lions don’t have a third-round pick this year, this would be a very costly move.
Keeping his cards close to the vest at this morning’s media session, Holmes acknowledged that anytime you can acquire an offensive tackle in the draft, it’s good since those guys are hard to find. Admitting there are “some good ones” in this Draft, “and we’ll just kinda see how it falls.” With the addition of the veteran talent Holmes acquired in free agency and the number of other talented offensive players available in this year’s draft, this costly trade is definitely not necessary.
