Though The Scouting Academy’s Dan Hatman thinks that Ezra Cleveland might not be ready to start just yet, he also sees signs that he eventually can sometime down the road.
Cleveland, a tackle, was drafted by the Vikings in the second round. However, the team already has two returning tackles in Riley Reiff and Brian O’Neill, with O’Neill considered by many to be the best offensive lineman on the team.
Reiff is still under contract, but the team could possibly put Cleveland at guard, or put Cleveland at tackle and have Reiff move to the interior. There’s also a chance that Cleveland isn’t ready for NFL competition yet, and that the Vikings will have to wait until later seasons to play him consistently.
You can find the video here:
Here are some aspects of Cleveland’s game that Hatman focused on:
- Quick break out of his stance
- Getting his arms in the right spots
- Redirection
- Reach blocking
- His timing