Spencer Fano Could Test the Vikings' 'Best Player Available' Strategy

The true test of the Minnesota Vikings’ potential best-player-available approach is here, and it’s sure to ruffle some feathers. As the NFL Draft quickly approaches, one player who had been consistently projected as a top-10 pick has begun to fall into the teens in recent mocks and could still be on the board at No.18. So, if all of the top safeties and cornerbacks are off the board by the time the Vikings pick, would they possibly entertain selecting Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano?

Fano played mostly tackle in college, but after getting the arm-length measurement kiss of death at the combine, his status as the draft’s top tackle took a big hit. His 32 ⅛” arms fall below the NFL standard of 33 inches for tackles and measure even shorter than those of the polarizing Will Campbell of the New England Patriots. Other players like Peter Skoronski and Alijah Vera-Tucker, both tackles with sub-33” arms, slipped in the draft after their initial projections.

Spencer Fano was the winner of the Outland Trophy and a unanimous All-American in 2025. And while his arm length could scare off some teams, Fano still maintains an elite skillset and versatility that the Vikings could use in a unique way.

He took some center reps at the NFL Combine and

Fano doesn’t sound ecstatic about making a move inside, but this would be a temporary solution for a Vikings team looking to be competitive year in and year out. There’s a world where they could use Fano’s elite athleticism and versatility for a rental year at center and then kick him back outside when and if Christian Darrisaw gets injured or Brian O’Neill begins to decline.

O’Neill will be entering his age-31 season this year. While he’s still been rock solid for Minnesota, there’s no guarantee that he maintains his Pro Bowl standards moving forward. Meanwhile, Darrisaw has had a plethora of injuries and has played in only 68% of the total possible games since entering the league.

Blake Brandel seems to be the current plan at center for Minnesota after logging 363 snaps there last season. He wasn’t especially inspiring, and the Vikings could use an upgrade, but Fano is in a similar mold to a positionless offensive lineman.

Of course, there is a reason that, despite scouts praising linemen's versatility year after year, virtually none of them actually end up moving around on the line. It's hard to be good at one position, much less two or three. So would Minnesota be keen on having Fano start at center for a year or two and then move to his more familiar position when the need arises? Possibly, but there are significant challenges involved.

It’s an unusual and, frankly, a bit unlikely scenario. Still, say Fano slides to No. 18. Either the Vikings are getting a call from a team desperate to trade up, or it puts Minnesota’s promise to take good football players over forcing a need to the test.

Tackle may not be a need in Minnesota for another year or two. However, center is, and the Vikings could take an unconventional approach to fixing both issues. Ultimately, it’s a big leap of faith that Fano can be great at not one but two positions over the course of his career. However, there is a reason he was projected as a top-10 pick ahead of the combine results.

Interim GM Rob Brzezinski may opt for a more traditional rationale, but he’s also maintained that his job is to bring in good players and figure the rest out later. Should Fano fall through, he’d be ready to help out the Vikings.

"If you want me to play center, I'll play center," Spencer Fano told Stacey Dales at the combine. "I'll do whatever it takes to be great in this league."