Round 2, No. 37, OT Ezra Cleveland, Boise State
It’s no secret that the Chargers will be looking to upgrade the offensive line. Luckily, there will be a few plug-and-play caliber tackles outside of the first-round. Among them is one of the combine winners, who raised some eyebrows with his testing and on-field drills.
Cleveland ran a 4.93 40, while also posting the best 3-cone (7.26) and shuttle (4.46) of any offensive lineman in attendance. On the field, he showed smooth movement skills and solid flexion. For reference, his short shuttle time puts him in territory with NFL tackles like Anthony Castonzo (4.40) and Taylor Lewan (4.49).
The 6-foot-6 and 311 pounder started all Boise State’s 40 games since redshirting as a freshman. Cleveland needs to improve his play strength in the run game, but his balanced athleticism and loose movement skills allow him to stymie different types of rushers off the edge.
In his rookie season, he would be capable of filling in an immediate void at right tackle or left tackle (if Russell Okung is released).