Grading the Minnesota Vikings selections in the 2020 NFL Draft
By Zack Patraw
Ezra Cleveland – OT (Boise State)
Grade: A
The Vikings should be very happy with this pick. Getting an athletic tackle like Ezra Cleveland towards the back of the second round is a great value.
He began to get some first-round hype later in the draft process after posting impressive numbers at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. But most draft analysts will tell you Cleveland was around the 45-55 range in their rankings. Nonetheless, this pick gives Minnesota a ton of options with their offensive line.
With Brian O’Neill locked in as the right tackle, it’s time for the Vikings to decide what to do with Riley Reiff. There have always been talks about kicking him inside to guard and this could be the move that does that. The domino effect is that it will more than likely move Pat Elflein to the bench with him having a subpar season in 2019.
Cleveland is a young upgrade to Reiff on the edge and has that athleticism that Reiff is lacking. Bringing Reiff inside will get him some help and it will mask some of the difficulties he’s had at left tackle over the last couple of seasons. Overall, this is a tremendous pick by Minnesota.