Boise State v. Hawaii: Five NFL draft prospects to watch

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BOISE, ID – OCTOBER 12: Quarterback Hank Bachmeier #19 of the Boise State Broncos scrambles during the first half action against the Boise State Broncos on October 12, 2019, at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images) /

Ezra Cleveland Offensive Tackle

Boise State Broncos Football /

Scouting Report

Outside of Cole McDonald, Ezra Cleveland may have the most potential out of the bunch listed; he is 6’6″, 310-pounds, and he can move. He can get to his reach blocks when assigned as well as getting to second-level, sealing off linebackers and safeties. Cleveland has shown the necessary movement skills to keep up with speed rushers on the edge and cutting them off on run plays.

Cleveland isn’t much of a mauler and lacks the finishing ability that often gets general managers and scouts out of their seats. However, he has shown consistency in squaring up his blocks and getting in front of defenders making it tough to get around him, especially with athleticism.

Though he does have elite athletism for his size, he can tend to forget about his footwork. In his pass sets, he doesn’t gain the depth from his first step, and in the NFL where the talent is on another level, he may struggle to hold up on the edge against some of the quicker edge defenders.

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At his high school — Bethel, located in Spanaway, Washington — Cleveland was also a participant on the wrestling team, something that will intrigue the NFL. Having a wrestling background is a huge plus when playing on the line because you gain a great understanding of how to use leverage against your opponents; Bill Belichik loves a lineman with a wrestling background and the Patriots generally have a solid group up-front.

Cleveland still has somethings to clean up in his game, but the potential is there and he the athletic traits to be a top-100 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

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