BOISE — Ezra Cleveland, the former Boise State offensive tackle, is heading to Minnesota. The Vikings selected him in the second round with the fifty-eighth overall pick.
This marks 11 years in a row the Broncos have had a player drafted into the NFL. Cleveland declared for the draft as a junior after starting 40 games with the Broncos. The six-foot-six, 310-pound tackle also posted one of the fastest sprint times among offensive linemen at the combine, with a time of 4.9s seconds.
"He's got that natural ability and that athleticism," said Ron Counts, the Boise State football beat writer for the Idaho Statesman. "You want that quick guy with good feet on the edge to block that guy, and that's Cleveland."
Cleveland will join his former Bronco teammate, Alexander Mattison, a running back with the Vikings.
Two other Broncos also made their NFL dreams a reality.
The Miami Dolphins selected former BSU defensive end, Curtis Weaver, with the 164th pick overall. Weaver was the Mountain West career sack leader and was ranked fifth in the country in sacks.
"People want to pressure the quarterback, and that's what Curtis Weaver does," said Counts.
Former BSU wide receiver, John Hightower, was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 168th overall pick in the draft. Hightower led the Broncos with 943 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches. He also caught the scout's attention at the NFL Combine when he ran a 40-yard dash time of 4.43 seconds.
"He's very fast. He's got track speed, and he's really evolved this past year as a route runner," said Counts. "And when you start talking four times in speeds, the NFL can never get enough of those fast guys."
