CLEVELAND TO MINNESOTA

It took until Day 2, but the Boise State pipeline to the NFL continues! With the 58th overall pick, the Minnesota Vikings selected our own Ezra Cleveland.

From BroncoSports.com:

Cleveland started 40 games in three seasons with the Broncos, missing one game due to injury. He anchored an offensive line that produced a 1,000-yard rusher each season from 2017-19. Boise State’s offense ranked in the top 20 nationally in passing (2018) and scoring (2019).

A two-time All-Mountain West First Team member (2018-19), Cleveland extended Boise State’s streak of having at least player drafted to 11th, the longest-active streak by a Group of Five school.

Cleveland, who opted to forego his final season of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft, gives Boise State seven-consecutive years with an early entrant, one of only seven schools in the country with such a streak.

The list also includes Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Penn State. Stanford and Washington entered 2020 with streaks of six and each has at least one early entry this year. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (2014) started the streak, followed by running back Jay Ajay (2015), linebacker Kamalei Correa (2016), running back Jeremy McNichols (2017), linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (2018) and running back Alexander Mattison (2019).

The Spanaway, Wash., native is the second Bronco to be drafted by the Vikings joining running back Alexander Mattison who was selected by Minnesota in the third round a year ago.

Worth noting: the Broncos have a long tradition of success at LT.

As the resident OBNUG Vikings homer, I’m beyond thrilled that Zimmer is rebuilding the Boise State offense in the North. It seems current Viking and former Bronco Alexander Mattison shares my enthusiasm. SKOL!