{"id":777157,"date":"2026-02-26T08:29:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T08:29:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/777157\/"},"modified":"2026-02-26T08:29:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T08:29:26","slug":"what-an-nfl-analyst-said-about-utah-players-in-the-2026-combine-deseret-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/777157\/","title":{"rendered":"What an NFL analyst said about Utah players in the 2026 combine \u2013 Deseret News"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article was first published in the Ute Insiders newslett<\/a>er<\/a>. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

Five former Utes are in Indianapolis this weekend for the 2026 NFL Combine as they take the next step toward a professional football career.<\/p>\n

Scouts, general managers and coaches from every NFL team will be on hand at the combine, with on-field testing running from Thursday to Sunday. Prospects will participate in a series of drills and interview with teams, giving them valuable insight on players. <\/p>\n

Drills include the bench press, 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle, and a good performance can send players up draft boards.<\/p>\n

Linebacker Lander Barton<\/a> and defensive end Logan Fano<\/a> are first up on Thursday, with tight end Dallen Bentley<\/a> taking the field on Friday and offensive tackles Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu<\/a> closing things out on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at where each former Ute ranks on various draft boards, along with a scouting report from NFL.com\u2019s Lance Zierlein, as they head into the combine.<\/p>\n

Spencer Fano, offensive tackle2025 stats: 84 PFF grade, no sacks allowed, only five pressures allowed2025 honors: Outland Trophy winner, unanimous first-team All-American, Polynesian College Football Player of the Year, Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year, All-Big 12 first teamPFF Big Board rank: 18Mel Kiper\u2019s positional rank: No. 2NFL.com prospect grade: 6.44 (will eventually be plus starter)<\/p>\n

Scouting report: <\/p>\n

\u201cFano lacks ideal proportional build but compensates with loose hips, quick feet and high-end athleticism. He has the tools to mirror speed rushers, wall off the top of the pocket and find a late anchor when taking the worst of a bull rush. He needs to stay square longer to prevent inside moves and refine his punch approach\/timing. His athletic profile is designed for move-based blocking schemes where he can pull, reach and climb while beating opponents to the spot with quickness\/feel for hitting landmarks on time. He gives good effort as a downhill blocker but issues with pad level and core strength lead to him being overtaken as the rep progresses. Fano\u2019s level of NFL success might be tied to scheme fit and individual matchups.\u201d \u2014 Zierlein<\/p>\n

Caleb Lomu, offensive tackle2025 stats: 68.4 PFF grade, no sacks allowed, eight pressures allowed 2025 honors: All-Big 12 first teamPFF Big Board rank: 29Mel Kiper\u2019s positional rank: No. 5NFL.com prospect grade: 6.36 (will eventually be plus starter)<\/p>\n

Scouting report: <\/p>\n

\u201cTwo-year starting left tackle who is still in the early stages of his development. Utah\u2019s run game leaned heavily on movement and misdirection, preventing Lomu from firing out and showing his power. His run blocking trails his pass protection, but improved pad level and a nastier demeanor could close the gap. In protection, he shows good balance with adequate foot quickness, landing quick, well-timed punches and using a firm grip to control rushers once he\u2019s in. His anchor was rarely stressed by power and his athletic recoveries are average. Lomu flashes but is still under construction. His play could improve rapidly with strength gains and additional coaching.\u201d \u2014 Zierlein<\/p>\n

Dallen Bentley, tight end2025 stats: 76.9 PFF grade, 48 catches for 620 yards and six touchdowns2025 honors: All-Big 12 third teamPFF Big Board rank: 181Mel Kiper\u2019s positional rank: No. 3NFL.com prospect grade: 5.84 (average backup)<\/p>\n

Scouting report: <\/p>\n

\u201cWith just three catches over his first two seasons at Utah, Bentley\u2019s 48 grabs in 2025 came as a surprise. He has the build of an in-line tight end but mostly uses his size to occupy defenders instead of digging into blocks. A heavy portion of his catches came against zone, so he will need to refine his route running and contested-catch technique to prove he can win on his own. Bentley\u2019s NFL future could depend on his ability to play with more tenacity and technique as a run blocker since his catch production from 2025 might not translate.\u201d \u2014 Zierlein<\/p>\n

Logan Fano, defensive end2025 stats: 78.7 PFF grade, 44 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, two pass deflections2025 honors: All-Big 12 second teamPFF Big Board rank: 262Mel Kiper\u2019s positional rank: \u201cJust missed\u201d top 10NFL.com prospect grade: 6.36 (average backup)<\/p>\n

Scouting report: <\/p>\n

\u201cAn 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. He\u2019s quick but lacks upfield juice to challenge the edge. His rush plan is too predictable and overly reliant on feet over hands. He\u2019ll 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.\u201d \u2014 Zierlein<\/p>\n

Lander Barton, linebacker2025 stats: 61.7 PFF grade, 55 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, one interception, one pass deflection; six catches for 44 yards and a touchdownPFF Big Board rank: 266NFL.com prospect grade: 5.94 (average backup)<\/p>\n

Scouting report: <\/p>\n

\u201cBarton saw a slight downturn in production and consistency in 2025. He lacks ideal short-area quickness and agility for the NFL game but it\u2019s good enough for backup consideration. He needs to play with better block slip and take-on to make his job easier. Barton\u2019s handful of snaps and targets as a tight end might create some H-back roster flexibility to go with his linebacker label.\u201d \u2014 Zierlein<\/p>\n

\"\"Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley talks with linebacker Lander Barton (8) before a play against the Kansas State Wildcats during an NCAA football game held at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News In case you missed it<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m getting sick of the moral victories\u2019: Utah\u2019s renewed effort still mixed with frustration.<\/a><\/p>\n

From the archivesExtra points<\/p>\n

Utah gymnasts and Sammy\u2019s Buddy Program are each other\u2019s biggest cheerleaders<\/a><\/p>\n

Rivalry reset: Delaney Gibb\u2019s career-high 37 carry BYU to season sweep of Utah<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This article was first published in the Ute Insiders newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":777158,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[7,3309,6,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-777157","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl-draft","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-news-feed-local","10":"tag-nfl","11":"tag-nfl-draft"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116135997060070939","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/777157","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=777157"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/777157\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/777158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=777157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=777157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=777157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}