The Fano brothers are heading to Cleveland together.
The Cleveland Browns wasted no time keeping the Fano family together, signing Utah edge rusher Logan Fano to an undrafted free agent deal Saturday shortly after the draft wrapped up. Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports first reported the deal.
The move comes a few days after the Browns selected his younger brother, Spencer Fano, with the No. 9 overall pick.
Logan Fano is a 6-foot-5, 260-pound edge defender. He finished his college career at Utah after originally enrolling at BYU. Over his career at Utah, he totaled 93 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks across 28 games and 23 starts.
In his final college season, Fano recorded 44 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks across 11 starts, earning All-Big 12 Second Team honors.
Fano tore his ACL in 2023 during his debut season with the Utes. He had also suffered an ACL tear in 2022. At his Pro Day this spring, a hamstring injury cut short his workout.
Browns Didn’t Add Much to Defense in Draft
As an undrafted free agent, Fano will be a long shot to make the 53-man roster. Draft analysts projected Fano as a late Day 3 or priority undrafted target entering the weekend. Here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said about Fano in his scouting report.
“An edge defender with pro size and strength, Fano is capable of playing standing up or with a hand down. He plays with a blend of hurry and heart that keeps him keyed in on the action. However, urgency can become impatience, which pulls him out of position and opens him to counters/misdirection,” Zierlein said. “He’s quick but lacks upfield juice to challenge the edge. His rush plan is too predictable and overly reliant on feet over hands. He’ll shine on special teams and has toughness to defend a pro run game, but Fano needs to improve as a rusher to become a three-down player.”
The Browns did not add any rookies to the defensive line in the draft, focusing mostly on the offensive side of the ball. Safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and linebacker Justin Jefferson were the lone additions on defense through the draft.
The Browns added 10 players across Rounds 1 through 7, including three offensive linemen, two wide receivers, a quarterback and two tight ends.
Spencer Fano Will Be Foundational Piece for Browns OL
Cleveland is expected to have an entirely new starting group up front. The lone exception could be Joel Bitonio. If the seven-time Pro Bowler decides to return rather than retire, a spot at left guard will be waiting for him. The Browns view Spencer Fano as a cornerstone of their offensive line rebuild and future.
“As I said, his character was first, I mean, the way he’s wired. I think the expectations that we will have for him won’t even match that he has for himself,” Browns coach Todd Monken said. “His athleticism, his toughness. I mean, when you want to start off the first year of your regime, you talk about what you want: character, toughness, athleticism. He has it all.”
Fano played primarily right tackle in college but the Browns have been clear that he’ll be on the left side.
“We’re really excited about Spencer and his potential at left tackle,” Berry said. “He’s super athletic, very versatile, elite makeup. We think that’s a big foundational piece to that position group.”
Dawand Jones is expected to return after opening last season as the Browns’ starting left tackle, but durability remains a concern after he was limited to just three games due to injury.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Browns Add Brother of Top Pick to Priority UDFA Deal appeared first on Heavy Sports.