Utah’s Spencer Fano is one of the top-rated offensive tackles in the upcoming NFL Draft, but might the 6-foot-5, 311-pounder be better at guard?
Or maybe even center?
Many of the top offensive tackles projected as early picks in next month’s draft have position flexibility, said ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., meaning they, instead, could become an interior lineman at the NFL level.
“It’s kind of interesting with this group of offensive linemen because they’re not locked into one position,” Kiper said on a conference call Thursday. “This is the one year where you have guys who fit a scheme or they could fit both schemes. Or they could be a right tackle, or they could be a guard.
“You’re going to have to get them, and you’re going to have to figure it out.”
Kiper pointed to Fano as an example.
ESPN colleague Field Yates has Fano ranked as the 12th-best prospect overall for the April 23-25 draft. But Kiper wondered if some NFL teams might prefer to move Fano inside.
“You say, ‘Well, he’s too tall for center.’ Don Mosebar wasn’t too tall for center coming out of USC to the Raiders,” Kiper said. “He was 6-7. Fonu is a great athlete. He has tremendous movement. His ability is through the roof as well from a talent standpoint.”
But Kiper said Fano’s arm length — measured at the combine as 321⁄8 inches — might lead some teams to question his future at tackle.
“I know some teams feel he can get it done at that spot,” Kiper said. “He’s certainly going to be an outstanding guard. He could be a heck of a center.”
Position flexibility could provide a fallback plan for players, but it’s not ideal if teams drafted them to fill a need at tackle. Kiper said he didn’t recall another draft class with such flexibility among the offensive linemen.
That makes pre-draft evaluations more imperative.
“At the end of the day, offensive line coaches are going to have a lot work to do this year in terms of projecting,” Kiper said. “Not only from a scheme standpoint but from a talent standpoint. Can they get it done at tackle or are they going to have to be a guard? Because there are a lot of mixed opinion on these offensive linemen in this draft.”
In Kiper’s latest mock draft, he predicted six offensive tackles in the first round beginning at No. 6 with Georgia’s Monroe Freeling going to the Browns. Kiper said he views the 6-7, 315-pounder as a prototypical tackle.
“If you could draw up on paper the perfect left tackle, it would be him,” Kiper said. “He’s quick out of the stance, really good hand placement. … Run blocking needs to improve, and it will.”
But Kiper has questions about the next three tackles off his board, specifically whether NFL teams see a future only at tackle.
His mock draft projected Miami’s Francis Mauigoa to the Rams at No. 13, Fano to the Ravens at No. 14 and Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor to the Lions at No. 17. Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor went to the Eagles at No. 23, and the 49ers chose Clemson’s Blake Miller at No. 27.
“We talked about Spencer Fano playing three different positions,” Kiper said. “Is (Mauigoa) a right tackle or is he a guard? Kadyn Proctor could play any one of four positions, right?
“So, at the end of the day, you’ve got a lot of versatility with some of these guys and a lot of unknowns about where they fit in.”
