Brandon Cleveland

● Carries his weight well, with quality bulk in his upper and lower halves ● Adequate quickness to initiate contact with heavy hands ● Firm base — holds his ground versus base blocks ● Strong tackling hands, and doesn’t let ball carriers off the hook ● Adequate range to work up/down the line versus the run ● Decent bend and fluidity for his size on loops and games ● Flashes club/swipe move to soften edges of blocks ● Not super vocal as a leader, but won’t rock the boat ● Solid work habits — added nearly 50 pounds after enrolling at NC State 426 Back to table of contents -- 430 of 629 --

● Mediocre length leads to delays discarding blocks ● Lacks creativity and burst as a pass rusher ● Bag of tricks needs more counter maneuvers ● Late to read block movement at times ● Needs to continue developing instincts to defend against down blocks or cutbacks ● Would like to see more consistent snap-to-snap urgency

A two-year starter at NC State, Cleveland was an interchangeable one-/three-technique in defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot’s multiple fronts. He packed on weight after enrolling in Raleigh and moved down the defensive line, closer to the football. He didn’t pad the stat sheet as a junior or senior, but his talent and tape are more forgiving. Cleveland is a hard-hat lineman content with doing the dirty work in the middle of the trenches. He is a stout run defender who can bend and hold his ground. Though he doesn’t have the feet or length for quick wins (just 13 pressures in 2025), his hand use helps him clear block engagement to create congestion up the gut. Overall, Cleveland is more plugger than playmaker, with the leverage and play strength to control the point of attack. He might not have enough upside for some schemes, but he can fight for a rotational spot patrolling the A-gaps.