Workouts Vs. Tape
April 16th, 2020
Boise State LT Ezra Cleveland.
We will find out how much workouts factor in with draft evals by the end of next week.
Of course, The Sickness has shut down NFL football scouting departments and grounded trips for NFL suits to go to Pro Days and private workouts, and turn in expense reports from Hooters located in towns many accountants never heard of before unless they went to school there.
Yes, the Bucs are included in the ban, but just before The Sickness darked the skies above America, the Bucs did have a private workout with Boise State left tackle Ezra Cleveland
This may be flying under the radar, largely because Cleveland, unlike several other top tackle candidates, did not play in the ACC, SEC or B1G. He was stuck out in the Mountain West and rarely played on national TV.
Cleveland is projected by Dane Brugler of The Athletic as a late-first or second-round pick. Brugler has Cleveland, a redshirt junior, listed as his No. 7 overall left tackle.
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Boise State, Cleveland was the starting left tackle in head coach Bryan Harsin’s offense. After his redshirt year, he earned the starting left tackle job (pushing Archie Lewis to right tackle) as a freshman and started 40 games there the last three seasons, playing 95.6% of Boise’s offensive snaps over that span. An impressive athlete for the position, Cleveland is comfortable in space with a quick, efficient punch and the intelligence to beat rushers to the spot. However, his lack of anchor strength and explosiveness in his hands are concerns for his NFL transition. Overall, Cleveland struggles to match power in the run game and his lack of length creates a small margin for error, but he stays balanced in his pass sets with the lower body athleticism that frustrates rushers, projecting as an NFL starter.
Joe’s good friend Emory Hunt, the Czar of the Playbook, isn’t as high on Cleveland and believes he’s the No. 12 tackle in the draft, per his 2020 Football Gameplan Draft Guide (only $10!)
Strengths:
– Strong in pass pro. Very patient in his set up, doesn’t overextend, and is able to ‘play the piano’ with edge rushers.
– Does a solid job of anchoring vs bull rushers.
– He’ll consistently work to reset his hands, getting them in good position to execute the block.
– Combo blocks really well, working up to the second level.Areas of Improvement:
– Exposes his chest a lot; which allows quicker defensive lineman to win first with their hands and get penetration.
– Not overly sudden or explosive; which shows itself in the run game.
So it seems Cleveland can pass block but he’s not much of a run blocker. Then again, if your goal is to keep Tom Brady upright, Cleveland seems as if he can get the job done.
Perhaps this Cleveland would be a bargain in the second round? If that is the case the Bucs better have their eyes set on Cam Akers in the third.
April 16th, 2020 at 10:35 am
We only sent oline coaches to the Senior Bowl right?
April 16th, 2020 at 10:38 am
Licht does his homework on obscure offensive lineman. Cleveland might be that second 4th round pick.
One certain thing, the Bucs better do this draft right, there might not be one next year, college football looks shaky for a season this year. The NCAA will adjust things for seniors to have an extra year of eligibility and the next draft will 2012.
Trade down and take a safety in round one.
2: RT and RB
3:QB
4-6: linemen for both sides of the ball.
April 16th, 2020 at 10:56 am
kid looks talented….
but if we need a RT, draft an RT…dont draft an LT and hope he can play RT….
kinlaw 1st round
I.wilson 2nd round
GO BUCS!!!!!
April 16th, 2020 at 11:00 am
Trading down in round 1 or 2 might not be a bad move. Could pick up a decent OT with such a switch. Will be an interesting draft.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:01 am
I am intrigued by the Kinlaw possibility in round 1 also.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:12 am
Perhaps because he played the position IMO this is Licht’s strongest area of evaluation. 60% of our starting OL are Licht picks and none of them in the first round.
I’ve read about his guy on other scouting reports and would probably make a decent pick.
Rumors of us trading up seem a bit bizarre to me. Certainly if next year we haven’t found the heir apparent to TB12 late in this year’s draft if we pile up some draft capital we could move up next year and try to get Trevor Lawrence. Give that hopefully we’ll pick late next year we’ll need a LOT of capital if we think we’re going to move up to #1…perhaps a pipe dream.
IMHO There are a dozen ways the Bucs could go in the draft this year…and most of them are great. Pick the RT at #14…a defensive guy like Kinlaw…as long as it’s the trenches I’m cool…And trading down for more picks never bothers me.
Hindsight is 20-20…I think Luv was the main proponent and for a long while I was for trading that #1 pick five years ago…it was incredibly valuable..for a LOT of other picks…including a #1 the following year. We could have built a solid team for sure.
But I confess…I got swept up in JW fever and by the time of the draft I was on the bandwagon. Looking back…LUV was right and I was wrong.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:17 am
I’m on the Kinlaw RD1, RT in RD2
April 16th, 2020 at 11:18 am
Shill Joes infatuation this year is Cam Akers. Kiss of death. He’s now a guaranteed bust.
In BA I Trust!
April 16th, 2020 at 11:56 am
Sport,
Same Joe was singing praises for Chris Godwin as a prospect. Couldn’t have been more right there.
April 16th, 2020 at 12:02 pm
And Lavonte David. 🙂
Thanks man.
April 16th, 2020 at 12:15 pm
That satisfies the rule of a broken clock being right twice a day…
Manziel…. Mike Drop…
In BA I Trust!!
April 16th, 2020 at 12:16 pm
From Joe’s archives. December 10, 2011.
April 16th, 2020 at 12:17 pm
Plus I’m just having fun. I love the Joes! Shill Joe is fearless and puts out an opinion and stands by it. Which makes it even more fun!
Go Bucs!
In BA I Trust!
April 16th, 2020 at 12:18 pm
Thanks man! 🙂
April 16th, 2020 at 12:19 pm
Trade back in the 1st round and Draft OT Jones
April 16th, 2020 at 12:36 pm
Joe,
Exactly! Preach.
Can’t wait for the draft next week. Can you guys do a JBF zoom meeting? Would love to party virtually with the fans.
April 16th, 2020 at 12:51 pm
Hey Joe, how about a JBF pre-draft contest this weekend, say for the first 3 rounds?
April 16th, 2020 at 1:39 pm
Funny, if you name everybody you eventually get one right lol
April 16th, 2020 at 1:45 pm
1st- Chaison
2nd Isaiah Wynn
3rd Best RB available
I would hope the 4 OTs, or 2 DTs were available at 14, but I believe they are gone. And even though I disagreed with one joe on Jameis, I do agree with their sentiments on pass rush!!!
April 16th, 2020 at 2:22 pm
Pass, we don’t need another right tackle who is bad at run blocking.
April 16th, 2020 at 2:29 pm
I’m a dane Brugler fan. He clearly is not always correct but I like the fact that he generally makes his own insights. Earl in the college season when everyone else was talking up Wirfs and Thomas. He was the first guy on Wills jr. Last year at this point he had Sean Murphy Bunting as a late 1st to mid 2and value.
April 16th, 2020 at 2:30 pm
Nice start SteveK. Here’s my pre-draft pre-contest picks:
1st-OT Thomas
2nd-RB Taylor
3rd-QB Fromm
We would need some basic contest rules (i.e. no trades, position-last name for each pick, etc.)
How about it Joe?
April 16th, 2020 at 2:43 pm
1st- Kinlaw or Ruggs III
2nd- Swift, CEH, or Akers (RB has to be choice in 2nd)
3rd- best OL or S available
I’m not convinced Arians is ready to draft an OL in 1st round, if one of top 4 are even there. His quote of drafting OL for next coach seems like red flag as well. I think Haeg and a possible signing of a FA after cuts in upcoming months compete for that right tackle position.
I hope Kinlaw is the pick if there. If not, I know a lot of people will disagree, but I’m going with Ruggs III. You add him, one of the RBs in 2nd and this offense is downright scary.
April 16th, 2020 at 2:50 pm
I like your draft calbucsfan
April 16th, 2020 at 4:43 pm
Calbucsfan,
I’d love taylor in round two. He’s not making pst 25. Just feel he’s going to be a monster.
April 16th, 2020 at 5:17 pm
SteveK,
I think you’re right about Taylor being gone by the time Bucs 2nd pick comes around, but we can hope!
April 16th, 2020 at 5:18 pm
Geno711,
Thanks, and what would be your 3 picks?
April 16th, 2020 at 6:34 pm
“The Sickness” – Joe
Hey! You can’t use that term! It’s in one of my novels!!!!! 😉
April 16th, 2020 at 6:35 pm
The way the players go without padded practices, they may as well use Candy Land to train them.
April 16th, 2020 at 6:42 pm
CalBucsFan Says
“Nice start SteveK. Here’s my pre-draft pre-contest picks:
1st-OT Thomas
2nd-RB Taylor
3rd-QB Fromm”
Mine would be:
1st – OT
2nd – QB or Edge
3rd – Edge or RB
4th – RB or QB
4th – QB or Safety (if a QB is not taken in the 2nd)
5th – G
6th – WR
April 16th, 2020 at 7:09 pm
Ezra will def not make it to the 4th….doubt he makes it past the top of the 2nd since OT is very popular this year.
And he CAN play RT, he was doing drills as a RT and did very good,,,go watch the film, its out there.
My dream scenario:
1st. Wirfs (RG) or Thomas for RT if Wirfs is gone
2nd. If we land Wirfs, then Ezra
3rd. Trade back into 2nd for Clyde
April 16th, 2020 at 7:14 pm
Or make that splash trade up and go for Simmons/Wills.
April 16th, 2020 at 9:00 pm
I like the thought of trading up for Simmons/Wills, but most teams covet those guys, also…In other words, it’d probably take a lot to move up, IMHO.
April 17th, 2020 at 3:12 am
Buccaneer Bonzi,
Agree with your pick list sorted by most needed positions, except I would bump RB option up to picks 2 or 3, and drop QB down to picks 3 or 4. Just there are 4-top rated OTs, I see 4 top-shelf RBs too and Believe the Bucs Really need to get one of them. There’s should also be a couple of intriguing QBs still available in those lower rounds.