Three Broncos Selected in 2020 NFL Draft
4/24/2020 5:47:00 PM | Football
BOISE, Idaho – Former Boise State offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland was selected in the second round of the 2020 National Football League Draft with the 58th overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings, Friday.
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 one player drafted to 11 years. It is the seventh-consecutive season a Bronco has been selected on the offensive side of the ball. Both active streaks are tops among Group of Five schools.
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 nine schools in the country with such a streak.
The list also includes Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Penn State, Stanford and Washington. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (2014) started the streak, followed by running back Jay Ajayi (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.
Curtis Weaver and John Hightower were each selected, Saturday.
The Miami Dolphins traded up to grab Weaver in the fifth round at No. 164 overall. Four spots later, the Philadelphia Eagles selected Hightower. Boise State became the first team from a Group of Five conference to have three players selected in this year's draft.
A native of Long Beach, Calif., Weaver earned nine All-America honors in 2019 playing edge, including three first-team selections (CBS, The Sporting News, Walter Camp).
He was named All-Mountain West First Team each of his three years at Boise State (2017-19) and was the conference's defensive player of the year last fall.
Weaver ended his career with 34 sacks, a Mountain West record and second all-time at Boise State. His 13.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles-for-loss led the conference in 2019 and were tied for fifth and tied for 12th nationally, respectively.
He is the fourth Bronco all-time drafted by the Dolphins joining running back Jay Ajayi (2015), defensive back Jamar Taylor (2013) and linebacker Lance Sellers (1987).
Hightower was two-year player at Boise State and was a dual threat at wide receiver and kick returner. He was named All-Mountain West Second Team in 2019 at both positions.
He led the Broncos in receiving yards (943) and touchdown catches (eight) as a senior and was second on the team with 51 receptions. The Landover, Md., native averaged 24.6 yards per kick return, including a 98-yard touchdown against Portland State.
A big-play guy, Hightower scored 11 touchdowns of 40-plus yards in his Boise State career.
Hightower is the first Boise State player drafted by the Eagles making Philadelphia the 28th current NFL franchise to select a Bronco. Only Carolina, Houston, Indianapolis and Jacksonville have yet to take a player from Boise State.
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 one player drafted to 11 years. It is the seventh-consecutive season a Bronco has been selected on the offensive side of the ball. Both active streaks are tops among Group of Five schools.
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 nine schools in the country with such a streak.
The list also includes Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Penn State, Stanford and Washington. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (2014) started the streak, followed by running back Jay Ajayi (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.
Curtis Weaver and John Hightower were each selected, Saturday.
The Miami Dolphins traded up to grab Weaver in the fifth round at No. 164 overall. Four spots later, the Philadelphia Eagles selected Hightower. Boise State became the first team from a Group of Five conference to have three players selected in this year's draft.
A native of Long Beach, Calif., Weaver earned nine All-America honors in 2019 playing edge, including three first-team selections (CBS, The Sporting News, Walter Camp).
He was named All-Mountain West First Team each of his three years at Boise State (2017-19) and was the conference's defensive player of the year last fall.
Weaver ended his career with 34 sacks, a Mountain West record and second all-time at Boise State. His 13.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles-for-loss led the conference in 2019 and were tied for fifth and tied for 12th nationally, respectively.
He is the fourth Bronco all-time drafted by the Dolphins joining running back Jay Ajayi (2015), defensive back Jamar Taylor (2013) and linebacker Lance Sellers (1987).
Hightower was two-year player at Boise State and was a dual threat at wide receiver and kick returner. He was named All-Mountain West Second Team in 2019 at both positions.
He led the Broncos in receiving yards (943) and touchdown catches (eight) as a senior and was second on the team with 51 receptions. The Landover, Md., native averaged 24.6 yards per kick return, including a 98-yard touchdown against Portland State.
A big-play guy, Hightower scored 11 touchdowns of 40-plus yards in his Boise State career.
Hightower is the first Boise State player drafted by the Eagles making Philadelphia the 28th current NFL franchise to select a Bronco. Only Carolina, Houston, Indianapolis and Jacksonville have yet to take a player from Boise State.
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