A few Utah football stars will have their dreams of playing in the pros come one step closer to realization over the next 72 hours as the 2026 NFL Draft plays o …
A few Utah football stars will have their dreams of playing in the pros come one step closer to realization over the next 72 hours as the 2026 NFL Draft plays out from the North Shore near Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The first round of the draft kicked off Thursday at 6 p.m. MT on ESPN. The second and third rounds will be televised Friday at 5 p.m., with the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds wrapping up the draft on Saturday at 10 a.m.
Follow along below as we track each Utah draftee and where they’re headed to start their pro careers.
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Utah Players Selected in the 2026 NFL Draft
- Spencer Fano (OL): Drafted No. 9 overall by the Cleveland Browns
- Caleb Lomu (OL): Selected No. 28 overall by the New England Patriots
Spencer Fano is first offensive lineman off the board
Utah’s star right tackle is headed to Cleveland after capping off a decorated three-year collegiate career as a consensus All-American, the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year and the Outland Trophy recipient. He became the second-highest Utah tackle drafted behind Jordan Gross (No. 8 overall in 2003).
Fano racked up multiple accolades at the end of his junior season with the Utes following a highly-efficient 2025 campaign, in which he allowed just five pressures and five hurries across 357 pass blocking opportunities, according to Pro Football Focus. In addition to not allowing a sack, the 6-foot-6 Fano helped pave the way for one of the best ground attacks in the country, with Utah recording a program-record 3,462 rushing yards across 13 games (266.3 per game, No. 1 among Power 5 teams).
Fano continued to impress scouts and other NFL personnel during the scouting combine in Indianapolis, where he checked out holding the highest athleticism score (93), the highest production score (85) and the best total score (89) of any offensive tackle prospect who participated in the drills and testing. He recorded a time of 4.91 seconds in the 40-yard dash, a 32-inch vertical jump and a 10-yard split of 1.72 seconds.
Fano and Lomu Make Utah Draft History
Caleb Lomu going No. 28 overall to New England marked the first time ever that two Utah players were selected in the same first round of the NFL draft.
Lomu, an All-Big 12 selection and two-year starting left tackle with the Utes, was the seventh offensive tackle off the board, following his teammate Fano (No. 9), Miami’s Francis Mauigoa (No. 10), Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor (No. 12), Clemson’s Blake Miller (No. 17), Georgia’s Monroe Freeling (No. 19), and Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor (No. 21).
How many Utah players have been drafted into the NFL?
Entering Thursday, Utah had churned out 189 draft picks in school history, including 10 first-round selections, 16 second-rounders and 15 third-rounders.
At least one Utes players has been drafted in 16 of the past 17 drafts, with the 2017 class standing out as the most voluminous (eight players selected, including All-Pro tackle Garett Bolles at No. 20 overall).
Who were the most recent Utah players to be drafted?
Last year, former college basketball standout and Utes tight end, Caleb Lohner, was the program’s lone representative in the draft, going No. 241 overall to the Denver Broncos.
Five Utah players heard their names called during the 2024 draft, including standout defensive back Cole Bishop (No. 60 overall to the Buffalo Bills) and stud defensive end Jonah Elliss (No. 76 overall to the Denver Broncos).
Has Utah ever produced a No. 1 overall pick?
All-American quarterback Alex Smith is the only Utes player to ever be selected with the top pick in the NFL draft.
Smith went on to play 14 seasons professionally, including including seven with the San Francisco 49ers, five with the Kansas City Chiefs and two with Washington, after being drafted No. 1 overall by San Francisco in 2005. He finished his career as a three-time Pro Bowler and recipient of the 2020 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award following a gruesome leg injury he suffered while with Washington.
Who is the most recent Utah player to be drafted in the first round?
Entering Thursday, Dalton Kincaid was the most recent first-rounder Utah churned out. The standout tight end was taken No. 25 overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 2023 draft.
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