CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN'S DRAFT TRADES
EZRA CLEVELAND
HEIGHT/WEIGHT/AGE
6-foot-6
310 pounds
21 years old
BIG PICTURE
A wrestler and football player in high school, Ezra Cleveland turned into a durable three-year-starting left tackle at Boise State. Named an all-conference first-teamer twice, Cleveland used his big frame to allow fewer than 20 pressures in all three of his college seasons. Showed up big at the NFL Combine with top-ranking agility scores at his position. His competition level was less-than-perfect out of the Mountain West, but Cleveland stood out with a well-rounded game.
COMBINE NOTABLES
4.93 40-yard dash (3rd)
30 bench reps (5th)
30-inch vertical
111-inch broad jump
7.26 3-cone drill (1st)
4.46 20-yard shuttle (1st)
VIKINGS' COMPATIBILITY RANKING
4 out of 5. Agile, light on his feet, wrestling background. The Vikings like all of these qualities in a line prospect. They also probably saw plenty of Cleveland tape while scouting RB Alexander Mattison the year prior.
HIGHLIGHTS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K18wK7MFMx4
WHAT DRAFT EXPERTS SAY
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: "Athletic left tackle able to make all outside zone blocks in the run game, but in dire need of additional mass and functional strength. Tape work can be tricky as Cleveland suffered a turf toe injury in his second game of the 2019 season and was unable to practice for much of the year. Issues anchoring and redirecting edge pressure are independent from his injury, but determining the impact of that injury on his play is challenging. He plays with patience and technique but lacks base width and contact balance. Cleveland has the athleticism to play swing tackle for a zone-based offense but needs to get much stronger to hold up as a starter."
Kyle Crabbs, Draft Network: "Ezra Cleveland projects as a developmental OT prospect in the NFL. He's got the movement skills to eventually become a starter, but as is here's currently too raw to offer consideration for early playing time. Cleveland needs to focus on gaining functional strength and improving his framing of blocks and ability to finish. Cleveland's movement skills offer promise but the test will be whether or not he's able to maintain that mobility once he's stacked extra muscle on his frame."
WHAT PFF SAYS
80+ pass-blocking grade each season
7 penalties during career
2 pressures allowed in last five games played
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
Think you could write a story like this? Hockey Wilderness wants you to develop your voice, find an audience, and we'll pay you to do it. Just fill out this form.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.