07-05-2020, 11:15 PM
Cleveland was a somewhat polarizing prospect in the pre-draft process, though it's hard to deny that the Vikings got good value by landing him with the 58th overall pick. He shot up draft boards after an incredible combine performance confirmed the elite athleticism that he shows on tape. Cleveland's mobility and intelligence makes him an ideal fit in Gary Kubiak's zone-blocking scheme, and his upside was enough to generate some first-round buzz leading up to the draft. However, there are enough question marks on his tape that a handful of analysts gave him a round three grade or worse. Cleveland is lacking in play strength and tenacity and needs to improve the consistency of his technique in pass protection.
In that regard, he's rather similar to his new teammate Brian O'Neill, who had many of the same strengths and weaknesses coming out of Pittsburgh in 2018 and was also a late second-round pick.
"We think he just has an extremely high ceiling," Rick Spielman said after the Vikings drafted Cleveland. "Felt almost identical when we went through that tape and then when we talked about Brian O'Neill two years ago, it was almost the same type of conversation. And I remember when Brian, you know, he was going to be a little bit of a project and then he ended up playing his rookie year and playing very well, and is now probably one of our most consistent offensive linemen up front. We see, I think a very similar path for Ezra, but who knows until we get everybody in here and get them out on the field where it shakes out."
I'm slightly skeptical that the Vikings will hit twice in three years on raw, developmental tackles, which is why I gave the pick a B- grade in my initial analysis.
https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/viki...iff-oneill
In that regard, he's rather similar to his new teammate Brian O'Neill, who had many of the same strengths and weaknesses coming out of Pittsburgh in 2018 and was also a late second-round pick.
"We think he just has an extremely high ceiling," Rick Spielman said after the Vikings drafted Cleveland. "Felt almost identical when we went through that tape and then when we talked about Brian O'Neill two years ago, it was almost the same type of conversation. And I remember when Brian, you know, he was going to be a little bit of a project and then he ended up playing his rookie year and playing very well, and is now probably one of our most consistent offensive linemen up front. We see, I think a very similar path for Ezra, but who knows until we get everybody in here and get them out on the field where it shakes out."
I'm slightly skeptical that the Vikings will hit twice in three years on raw, developmental tackles, which is why I gave the pick a B- grade in my initial analysis.
Quote:By taking Cleveland, the Vikings are betting that they can replicate the success story of O'Neill, who shared some of Cleveland's strengths and question marks when he was drafted 62nd overall two years ago.If the Vikings are able to help Cleveland become the next O'Neill, they'll be in fantastic shape at the position for years to come. O'Neill was an above-average right tackle last year and appears poised to become a star as he continues developing. However, he was merely decent as a rookie, which is probably the best-case scenario for Cleveland. That raises the question of how soon the Vikings will throw the Boise State product into the fire, especially with the remaining uncertainty about when the team will actually begin practicing
O'Neill took to the Vikings' strength training and coaching quickly and is already one of the better young tackles in the league. Minnesota clearly thinks that Cleveland can follow the same path, but there's a chance that O'Neill is the exception and not the rule.
https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/viki...iff-oneill
