Raiders Draft Review: What Brandon Cleveland Brings to Las Vegas

Cleveland is not your typical A-gap defender built with trumping mass and raw power, like you may want the Raiders to have. At 6-foot-3, 305 pounds, and 32.25-inch arms, this is a smaller defender to have for a nose tackle, but when you watch the tape, it makes so much sense why. As a defensive lineman, whether as an edge rusher or interior defender, you always want to play with low pads, which allows you to play in control and maintain security at the point of attack. 

Cleveland does this so well, and it is why I've come to love his tape in run defense; as you can see below, he consistently keeps his pads low, his hips sunk, and the combo of power and strength generated into the upper half of his frame. Once Cleveland gets his hands on in true one-on-one matchups, he plays with ample violence and power in the mitts to generate displacement and deconstruct blocks.

In the four games I watched Cleveland -- vs. Florida State, vs. Georgia Tech, at Miami, at Notre Dame-- one of his best tapes came against offensive linemen who were drafted this year or will be NFL linemen in future drafts. Watch the clip below of Cleveland taking on Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge, the Texans' first-round pick: look how much force and power come from playing with low pads, and you can see the intrigue.

The Limitations Are Apparent With Raiders New Defensive Tackle

Despite some of his size limitations, Cleveland was impressive, taking on double and duo blocks that allowed linebackers and box safeties to navigate the gaps and fit the run. He is capable of two-gapping and handling the A-gap defender role. There are times against the run when his lack of length creates issues with block-shedding, and his instincts are a work in progress against zone-blocking concepts.

One thing that bothered me when watching Cleveland is that far too often, he was the last defender off the ball and lacked the urgency you want at times. He has flashed the burst to penetrate the backfield as an A-gap slasher, but was never consistently reliable in this area.

Cleveland will not provide much value as a pass rusher, so don’t hold your breath by expecting anything significant in this regard. However, there are moments on tape, like the one below, where, once he gets up to speed, he has the connectivity in his frame to convert to raw power and force, anchoring resets against opposing guards and centers.

The Raiders seem set with their current group at defensive tackle, especially with Adam Butler at nose tackle. However, adding rotational value like Cleveland provides them with options, and there is a solid chance he makes the 53-man roster. Overall, Cleveland will thrive as a rotational two-gap defender from the A-gap out of a zero or one-technique, while taking on duo and double blocks admirably to improve the depth of the Raiders' run defense.