If the Minnesota Vikings used a second round pick in 2020 NFL draft on Ezra Cleveland it was widely believed that he would be used as the team of the future left tackle when they eventually switched from Riley Reiff. However, due to injury issues and other factors, Cleveland spent the second half of last season playing the right guard for the Lila. Now it seems like he’s about to change things again.
Official website of Lindsey Young of the Vikings reports that Cleveland spent the first part of the organized team activities playing on the left guard alongside first-round pick Christian Darrisaw. He sounds like he’s pretty excited about the move as he can draw on his experience at both college and professional levels to help make the transition.
“I think it will help me tremendously to just have this experience and get back to my natural side,” Cleveland told Twin Cities media representatives on Wednesday. “I’m looking forward to it, and I’m looking forward to this year.”
Moving from Cleveland to the left guard will open a right guard point competition that will hopefully be won by another rookie, Wyatt Davis. Yes, the team signed last year’s Left Guard starter Dakota Dozier to a one-year contract this off-season, but let’s face it. . At that point, Davis should lose his place.
That would mean we could probably dismiss all the talk about Rick Spielman “ignoring” the offensive line. Assuming Davis wins the starting position in the left guard, the Vikings’ starting line would consist of two first-round picks (Darrisaw and Garrett Bradbury), two second-round picks (Cleveland and Brian O’Neill), and a third-round selection (Davis). That’s about as far from “ignoring” the offensive line as it can be in the National Football League.
If so, hopefully we’ll see the offensive take a step forward. As we have been saying for ages. . .Probably because it was like that. . The offensive line of this team doesn’t have to be that of the 90s cowboys or something. They just can’t be terrible. If they can reach this stage, the Vikings have the talent in the skill positions to collect points in bundles.
