Boise State left tackle Ezra Cleveland will forgo senior season, enter NFL Draft
Boise State left tackle Ezra Cleveland will forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft.
Cleveland confirmed his decision Tuesday afternoon by phone, saying he weighed his options after the Las Vegas Bowl and decided the timing was right to chase his dream.
“I felt like throughout the season, we were getting progressively better as an offense and I was having a good season and this was the right thing to do,” Cleveland said.
Despite spending the early portion of the season limited in practice by a foot injury suffered in the second game of the season against Marshall, Cleveland missed just one game this fall — the Broncos’ lopsided win over Portland State.
He started 27 straight games in 2017 and 2018, earning honorable mention All-Mountain West honors as a redshirt freshman and a first-team all-conference nod as a sophomore. The 6-foot-6, 310-pound Spanaway, Washington, native also made the first-team cut this season.
Cleveland has signed with sports agent Ron Slavin, who has represented a plethora of former Broncos destined for the NFL, including linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.
“He’s an elite athlete for the position,” said Slavin, who said though Cleveland has yet to receive an invite to the NFL Combine, he expects him to receive one.
Cleveland’s departure leaves Boise State to replace four starters on the offensive line next season. Left guard John Molchon, center Garrett Larson and Eric Quevedo are all seniors.
Boise State has had an early entrant drafted each of the past six years: running back Alexander Mattison (third round, 2019), linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (first round, 2018), running back Jeremy McNichols (fifth round, 2017), defensive end Kamalei Correa (second round, 2016), running back Jay Ajayi (fifth round, 2015) and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (second round, 2014). The Broncos also had early entrants in 2008, when offensive tackle Ryan Clady was taken in the first round and cornerback Orlando Scandrick in the fifth, and 2009, when wide receiver Jeremy Childs went undrafted.
The Broncos could have two early entrants this season. Top pass rusher Curtis Weaver hasn’t announced a decision on whether he will return for his senior season.
This story was originally published December 24, 2019 at 2:42 PM.
