Las Vegas Raiders pick NC State DT Brandon Cleveland in seventh round of NFL Draft

NC State coach Dave Doeren prides himself on leading a developmental program with the Wolfpack. In a perfect world, all of his high school signees would improve incrementally over their four seasons to hit their prime by their senior year. 

While it’s becoming increasingly tougher to do so with the transfer portal and the freedom of movement for players that aren’t pleased with their playing time, nose tackle Brandon Cleveland may be the perfect example of what Doeren believes in as a coach. 

Cleveland, a three-star recruit out of Tampa (Fla.) Carrollwood Day, bided his time as a backup for his first two seasons of college football. He emerged as a starter for his junior season, and impressed every snap afterwards. 

That wait for the Wolfpack’s run-stopping defensive lineman is well worth it now. The Las Vegas Raiders picked Cleveland in the seventh round (No. 229 overall) in the NFL Draft on Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh. 

Cleveland, who played 1,078 defensive snaps in 26 straight starts of his last two seasons at NC State, was the measure of consistency along the line. He logged 36 total tackles in each of the past two years, but he became more of a backfield presence as a senior with seven tackles for a loss and two sacks.

At 6-foot-4, 315 pounds, Cleveland is an imposing force to fill the middle of a defensive line, which he was able to show at both the East-West Shrine Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine in the pre-draft process. He served his job well at NC State, and The Athletic draft expert Dane Brugler believes that Cleveland can earn a job doing the same thing in the NFL. 

“Cleveland is more plugger than playmaker, with the leverage and play strength to control the point of attack,” Brugler wrote. “He might not have enough upside for some schemes, but he can fight for a rotational spot patrolling the A-gaps.”

While it’s hard for nose tackles to rack up significant numbers, especially Cleveland, he was able to post a pair of head-turning performances this past fall. He logged five tackles, including a career-best 2.5 for a loss, and a sack at Duke in Week 4, while he added 1.5 tackles for a loss and another sack against North Carolina in the regular season finale. 

Cleveland’s growth in Raleigh was impressive to watch. He went from a rotational defensive tackle his freshman year to a player that the Wolfpack barely took off the field over his final pair of campaigns to serve as one of the most consistent linemen on the roster.