6 players the Vikings could pick to replace Riley Reiff at left tackle
By Adam Carlson
Ezra Cleveland
One of the early favorites to replace Riley Reiff for next season would have to be Ezra Cleveland. Since he was a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, expectations are high for the young Vikings offensive lineman to step in and contribute.
Sadly, Cleveland has yet to show that he is ready to move to the blindside. Last season, Cleveland filled in at right guard after inept play from his teammates, and the 22-year-old blocker failed to impress in that role.
There is hope that Cleveland will perform much better when placed at left tackle, but that is a big roll of the dice for a team like Minnesota that already has existing question marks at other positions on the offensive line.
If Cleveland can be the answer, the Vikings will save quite a bit of money by having their staring left tackle on a rookie contract. This would allow them to dip into free agency to address another need while he and Brian O’Neill become the bookends on the offensive line.