They helped Boise State win two Mountain West titles. Now they’re signing NFL contracts.
One of Boise State’s top pass rushers in program history, Curtis Weaver, had to wait longer than expected to hear his name called in the 2020 NFL Draft, but the Mountain West’s all-time sacks leader has put pen to paper.
After leading the conference and finishing the season No. 5 in the country with 13.5 sacks, Weaver drew praise as a potential first-round pick early in the pre-draft process but was picked in the fifth round by the Miami Dolphins.
On Saturday, he tweeted out a picture of himself signing his first NFL contract. Weaver’s four-year deal is worth $3,602,996, and he is slotted to receive a $307,996 signing bonus, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Omar Kelly.
Left tackle Ezra Cleveland led Boise State’s draft picks after the Minnesota Vikings took him off the board with the No. 26 pick in the second round (No. 58 overall).
Weaver and wide receiver John Hightower (Eagles) followed in the fifth round. Offensive lineman John Molchon and defensive lineman David Moa signed undrafted free agent deals.
Projecting how early a rookie will make an impact in the NFL is an inexact science at best. But here’s a look at how this year’s group of former Broncos fit into their new teams, in terms of overall scheme and depth.
Curtis Weaver
Round (overall): 5th (No. 164)
Why Miami drafted him: The Dolphins posted just 23 sacks last season, which ranked last in the NFL. The Pittsburgh Steelers led the league with 54. Defensive end Taco Charlton led the Dolphins with five sacks, but he was released in April. He was followed by linebackers Sam Eguavoen (3.5 sacks) and Vince Biegel (2.5).
Miami obviously needs help getting to the quarterback, and that’s Weaver’s specialty. After three years as a starter at Boise State, he ranks No. 2 in program history with 34 sacks.
Scheme: Miami runs a hybrid defense, which often features a four-man front, but its base is the 3-4, which is perfect for Weaver. Though he began his college career pushing 300 pounds as a defensive tackle, he slimmed down to 265 in order to have the explosiveness and athleticism to fill the Broncos’ STUD role.
Weaver may see some snaps from a three-point stance, but he’s more likely to spend the bulk of his career on the outside where he can use his elusiveness to beat tackles and tight ends one-on-one.
Depth chart: Weaver was drafted just a few picks after former North Carolina linebacker Jason Strowbridge, who the Dolphins see as a multi-down edge setter with the ability to compete with established players Shaq Lawson, Emmanuel Ogbah and Avery Moss.
Weaver will likely begin his career as more of a situational pass rusher, who comes in to apply pressure on obvious passing downs. His main competition for a roster spot is Biegel, Andrew Van Ginkel, Jamal Davis II, Trent Harris and undrafted rookie Tyshun Render.
Ezra Cleveland
Round (overall): 2nd (No. 58)
Salary: Cleveland’s deal is not done, according to his agent Ron Slavin.
Why Minnesota drafted him: Minnesota selected three offensive linemen in this year’s draft. That and general manager Rick Spielman saying there will be a “wide-open” race this offseason for both guard spots make it obvious the Vikings are ready to make a change up front.
Cleveland started 40 games as a tackle at Boise State and will likely begin his NFL career there, but Vikings Director of College Scouting Jamaal Stephenson said he has “guard flexibility,” so don’t be surprised if he sees snaps on the interior early in his career.
Scheme: Not long after he was drafted, Cleveland said he was excited to be part of the Vikings’ zone-blocking scheme, which he described as similar to Boise State’s. Cleveland showed off his athleticism with a time of 4.93 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
He’ll be able to use that athleticism to get beyond bulky defensive linemen and use his size to bully smaller linebackers. That’s especially important in the Vikings’ run-heavy offense, which ranked No. 6 in the NFL last season with 133.3 rushing yards per game.
Depth chart: What the Vikings decide to do on the offensive line is very much up in the air. In March, they released starting right guard Josh Kline, and the coaches have been unhappy with left guard Pat Elflein’s performance. Either could be a landing spot for Cleveland.
There’s also talk of bumping veteran left tackle Riley Reiff inside to guard. If that happens, Cleveland could slide back into the role he mastered at Boise State or the coaches could move starting right tackle Brian O’Neill to the left, which leaves the right side open for competition. Minnesota’s coaches have also been impressed with guard Dru Samia and tackle Oli Udoh, both of whom are entering their second NFL seasons.
John Hightower
Round (overall): 5th (No. 168)
Why Philadelphia drafted him: The Eagles were determined to get younger and faster at wide receiver. During the draft, they traded for San Francisco 49ers receiver Marquise Goodwin, who only caught 12 passes during an injury-plagued 2019 season but averaged 15.5 yards per catch. Philadelphia also drafted a speedster to join Hightower, who posted a 4.43-second 40 time at the Combine. The Eagles’ first-round pick was TCU’s Jalen Reagor, who ran the 40 in 4.47 seconds.
Scheme: The Eagles have a strong-armed quarterback in Carson Wentz, and they ranked No. 8 in the NFL last season with 613 passing attempts. They want to stretch the field and open things up for the running game, which ranked No. 11 last year with 121.2 yards a game.
DeSean Jackson still has wheels, but at 33, he’s growing long in the tooth, and despite investing in Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor in recent years, the Eagles have yet to find a suitable replacement.
Depth chart: Jackson’s role as the deep threat is clear, and though there have been trade rumors swirling around Alshon Jeffery, he will be the Eagles’ No. 1 receiver if he’s still on the roster when the season starts.
Goodwin immediately moves into the Eagles’ top three receivers as a nice complement to Jackson, and former Stanford wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside — a second-round pick in 2019 — should get plenty of opportunities.
Hightower may not see a lot of snaps as a receiver right away, but he and Reagor have kickoff-return skills, which could get them on the field early. Hightower ranked No. 3 in the Mountain West last season with 24.6 yards per return, and after averaging more than 30 per return the previous two seasons, Reagor averaged 14.4.
John Molchon
Round: Undrafted free agent
Why Tampa Bay signed him: The interior of the Buccaneers’ offensive line is solid, but reliable depth is needed now.
Molchon is seasoned after starting 42 career games at Boise State. He started games at guard and tackle and trained at center in the months leading up to the draft. He has the size, strength and experience to provide immediate depth at multiple positions.
Scheme: The Buccaneers employ a zone-blocking scheme, similar to what Molchon experienced at Boise State. They would like to see it produce better results on the ground, though. In 2019, Tampa Bay ranked No. 24 in the league with 95.1 rushing yards a game.
Depth chart: Molchon’s best chance at early playing time may be at right guard, where Alex Cappa — a third-round pick in 2018 from Division III Humboldt State — started last season but missed three games due to injury and struggled in pass protection.
Molchon has a long road ahead of him if he’s going to see early playing time anywhere else. In April, the Buccaneers drafted Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs in the first round, and he’s the likely successor to right tackle Demar Dotson. Left tackle Donovan Smith isn’t going anywhere after signing a three-year, $41 million contract last year.
Tampa Bay also has one of the league’s top centers in Ryan Jensen. Last season, he and left guard Ali Marpet were named to Football Outsider’s All-NFC South team.
David Moa
Round: Undrafted free agent
Why Minnesota signed him: Last season, the Vikings saw the benefit of a deep rotation in the trenches when defensive linemen accounted for 41.5 of the team’s 48 sacks. Ends Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter combined for 22.5 of them. Griffin and nose tackle Linval Joseph were lost in free agency, though, which opens the door for Moa to compete for a spot.
Moa started 38 games in a six-year career at Boise State, and heading into his redshirt senior year in 2018, he was on preseason watch lists for the Bednarik Award, Outland Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Polynesian College Football Player of the Year. He appeared in just one game that year due to injuries.
Scheme: The Vikings employ a four-man defensive front, and Moa’s size (6-3, 296) and burst make him an ideal three-technique defensive tackle. He doesn’t have the athleticism to consistently rush the passer as a defensive end, but he can be stout enough against the run and has just enough pass-rush ability to play inside at tackle or outside at end.
Last season, Stephen Weatherly and Ifeadi Odenigbo came off the bench to fill the same role. After posting seven sacks last fall, Minnesota is hoping Odenigbo can replace Griffen in the starting lineup. Weatherly signed with the Panthers.
Depth chart: Minnesota signed former Baltimore Raven Michael Pierce to replace Joseph at nose. He’s likely to be starting beside three-technique tackle Shamar Stephen, who returned to a starting role last fall after spending 2018 in Seattle.
Behind Stephen, Moa will compete for playing time against four players who saw snaps last season: Jaleel Johnson, Armon Watts, Jaylyn Holmes and Hercules Mata’afa. Johnson led the group with 42 tackles and 3.5 sacks. The Vikings also added Baylor defensive tackle James Lynch in the fourth round of this year’s draft.
