Five players with ties to Utah are participating in NFL rookie mini-camps this weekend, including first-round pick Spencer Fano of the Cleveland Browns and linebacker Jack Kelly of the New York Giants. This is their first opportunity to showcase their skills in front of NFL coaches and personnel.
**At Cleveland Browns rookie mini-camp, Friday through Sunday** Fano’s journey to showing he can be a franchise left tackle for the Browns begins in earnest at rookie mini-camp. That will be his first time officially suiting up for Cleveland, who picked the former University of Utah and Timpview High star with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Fano was an All-American tackle at Utah and ended up being the first offensive lineman taken in this year’s draft. Cleveland announced Friday that Fano has signed his rookie contract, a four-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $32.2 million, according to NBC Sports. Though he played right tackle the past two years for the , the Browns have indicated he’ll start at left tackle for them. Now, the pressure is on to show he can be that anchor on the offensive line that comes with being a top-10 pick. Cleveland has revamped its offensive line, and Fano will play a major role in reshaping the Browns’ offensive front. “It’s cool not going into a room where everyone’s already set in stone, to be able to go in a room where we can all build relationships at the same time,” Fano said during his introductory press conference, . “I’m excited to be everybody’s shadow, to learn how to be great in this league.” linebacker (17) hypes up the crows during game against Utah at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
The top players include Spencer Fano, Jack Kelly, and Rahsul Faison, among others with Utah ties.
Spencer Fano signed a four-year, fully guaranteed rookie contract worth $32.2 million with the Cleveland Browns.
Jack Kelly is expected to play as an off-ball linebacker for the New York Giants.
A total of 40 players with Utah ties are participating in the NFL rookie mini-camps this weekend.
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**At New York Giants rookie mini-camp, Friday through Sunday**
A lot of the hype in Giants camp will understandably revolve around the team’s first-round pick, Arvell Reese, who excels both at off-ball linebacker and as an edge rusher.
A lot is expected of the No. 5 overall selection, and for good reason — the former Ohio State defensive star is expected to serve as the franchise’s WILL linebacker in his rookie season, according to head coach John Harbaugh, and will garner a lot of headlines in the Big Apple.
In the sixth round, though, the Giants also selected Kelly, the former BYU, Weber State and Kearns High star who plays off-ball linebacker but is incredibly effective at rushing the quarterback.
During his two seasons in Provo, Kelly had 15 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss for the Cougars.
Several Giants writers have suggested Kelly could be the steal of the draft for the team.
“But with Kelly, who is the fifth player from BYU to be drafted by the Giants, they just seem to have picked up a player who has a certain throwback era aura to him, a grittiness to his game that, upon first glance, makes one wonder how well he might have fit in with the old-school linebackers of yesteryear who wore the Giants’ helmet,” Sports Illustrated’s Patricia Traina wrote.
“While Kelly, on paper at least, just seems like another in a long line of inside linebackers the team added for special teams, there are a few reasons why, with all apologies to the Giants’ other picks, he is our favorite draft pick.”
**At New Orleans Saints rookie mini-camp, Friday through Saturday**
Faison, the former Utah State and Snow College standout who spent his final collegiate season at South Carolina, faces long odds to make a 53-man NFL roster as one of the 55 rookie mini-camp invites headed to New Orleans.
Faison is one of three running backs at rookie mini-camp with the Saints: New Orleans signed former Ohio State Buckeye CJ Donaldson as an undrafted free agent, and Cincinnati’s Tawee Walker is also there on a tryout basis.
Faison was at the Kansas City Chiefs rookie mini-camp last week on a tryout basis but left without a contract.
The Saints are pretty set at running back, with veterans Alvin Kamara and Travis Etienne Jr. leading the way and guys like second-year back Devin Neal returning.
There could be a path to the practice squad for someone like the 26-year-old Faison, though, or at least the chance to make enough of an impression for another franchise to take notice.
**At New York Jets rookie mini-camp, Friday through Sunday**
Like Faison with the Saints, Retzlaff is a long shot to find a spot on the regular-season roster for the Jets — or even on the 90-man offseason roster.
While New York is going through a change at starting quarterback for the third-straight year — this time, the Jets have brought back Geno Smith — the team also used a fourth-round draft pick on former Clemson QB Cade Klubnik.
It’s most likely that Klubnik and veteran Bailey Zappe will battle to back up Smith, and the Jets also have a fourth QB on the roster in Brady Cook — though he could be on the outs after Klubnik’s arrival.
That doesn’t leave much room for opportunity for Retzlaff, the former BYU starter who played last season at Tulane, in New York.
If Retzlaff doesn’t sign a deal with New York following mini-camp, at least the tryout will give him the chance to showcase his skills in an NFL environment again. He did the same last week, going through a mini-camp tryout with the Seattle Seahawks.
There are several BYU names to watch during Jets offseason workouts. The team signed three former Cougars to rookie free-agent deals in kicker Will Ferrin, cornerback Mory Bamba and long snapper Garrison Grimes.
**At Los Angeles Chargers rookie mini-camp, Friday through Sunday** Going into the 2026 draft, Barton was viewed as a late-round draft prospect by most pundits. The former University of Utah and Brighton High standout, though, never heard his name called. Barton, though, may have found a good situation with the Chargers, who didn’t draft a linebacker but reportedly spent big to bring in Barton. The Utah native signed with Los Angeles on a fully-guaranteed $264,500 contract, according to KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson, a deal that includes a $17,000 signing bonus. Barton has two older players who’ve spent years in the NFL, offensive tackle Jackson Barton and linebacker Cody Barton. Jackson won a Super Bowl ring with the Kansas City Chiefs, while Cody has started 60 games in his NFL career and is currently with the Tennessee Titans. Every year, there are undrafted free agents who end up making an NFL active roster, and Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox believes Lander Barton has the best chance of any UDFA to make the Chargers’ regular-season roster. According to Knox, 57 undrafted free agents made active rosters during the 2025 season. “The Los Angeles Chargers may have gotten themselves a steal when they signed Barton after the draft. His production speaks for itself, but the 22-year-old has an intriguing amount of NFL upside,” Knox wrote. “With a 6′4⅝“, 233-pound frame and room to add more weight, he can be a thumping early-down specialist in the NFL. He also has some tight end experience, though his 4.79 speed may limit him to a couple of specific roles.”