Ravens Didn't Want A Center In Draft

[John Reglarperson]

He ran a 5-flat 40.

Yeah, I'd say Ben Cleveland is not slow, but 343 pound guys aren't really fast. He's definitely fast for how heavy he is.

https://relativeathleticscores.com/r...PlayerID=19347

[TIGERBLOOD]

Yeah, I'd say Ben Cleveland is not slow, but 343 pound guys aren't really fast. He's definitely fast for how heavy he is.

https://relativeathleticscores.com/r...PlayerID=19347

Who do you like today?

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[stevez51]

Is there a reason that KC's former starter Austin Reiter is still a FA .? They signed the Rams starter. Money .?

[iceman43]

Ok, that's great. That literally has nothing to do with his pulling ability. It should, but a lot of the time OL 40 times don't translate for squat on pullin ability.

Pulling ability has a lot more to do with being able to aim your hips and hands while on the move. You can't go too fast because a lot of the times you're looking for your target, but you do have to move fast enough to generate pop, push, and punishment (that's how I teach it to OL anyway). The last thing you want to do is totally whiff on your block and get your RB killed. What determines how fast and effective you pull is based on your speed, but also your fluidity in your hips, your ability to redirect your momentum, and your ability to accurately lay into someone.

Cleveland is too top heavy and slow. His hips are stiffer and tighter than my grandmas, and he routinely tries to land all of his punches with the full force of his shoulders and head behind them i.e. he always has to duck and lean into his contact moments. He can't trust just his punch with just his hands and arms (which is stupid, he's incredibly strong just use your arms, chest and hands man). Anyway, he relies too much on his entire upper body and really most of his torso, this causes him to be much slower when pulling because A) he has to move slow to begin with because he's tight, can't redirect, and doesn't want to miss and B) in order for him to make contact like he likes he needs to completely square someone up and take time to load himself up to lay all of his massive self into them.

I love Cleveland as a road grader, line pusher, pass protector and all around bouncer................but if his assignment is out in space, he's less than half effective. He's a liability almost at that point

This is a great assessment. You and Jimzipcode got do some filmstudy together

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[John Reglarperson]

I don't think we have anything like a clear picture of anything based on what happened yesterday.

I like Ben Cleveland, I like very heavy + fast for how heavy he is. 6'6 343 5.05. Those numbers there are good. He's been notably large for years now, I was looking at him before last years draft.

But I have trouble seeing Ben Cleveland as the mobile, pulling LG.

I think that many here (me, and others) saw that Center and Right Tackle were the spots that need fixing, and it doesn't look like they got a guy who easily goes right in there. It seems like Ben Cleveland is a powerful RG, and Zeitler is presumably supposed to go to RG. Ben Cleveland isn't really all that different, physically, than Orlando Brown (especially on the point of weight). Theoretically, Cleveland could play RT?

Last year, after the draft and before the season, there was a long thread where people were guessing what the Ravens would do. Pretty much no one guessed that Skura would be Center, and many guessed that Bozeman would be the Center. Maybe this year will be like last year, where it isn't clear what they're going to do and we might be guessing.

Whatever it is, I do like Ben Cleveland, and that massive size + good speed is something I like. He seems like Right Guard though. Spencer Brown, the one I was talking about the most, was taken 1 before Ben Cleveland. Oh well.

Draft Drew Himmelman today sometime? Spencer Brown with no pro day numbers. I've been talking about him too. The Ravens have a good number of picks left.

[GOTA]

EDC may yet draft Trey Hill from Georgia, a guy formerly with high upside, but who is coming off knee surgery. Mekari is very likely better than anybody they uncover in the 6th or 7th round.

Troy Hill started a ton on games against top competition. I know he doesn't grade out as a high prospect but he sure has the experience and passes the eyeball test. I'd be very if that happens.

[Kyle Cactus]

... All I know is that the iOL competition at camp is going to be really fun to watch.

Yup, competition for starting spots and a roster spots is going to be fierce. If everyone is healthy I could see trading someone for a late pick. But I could also see an injury (real or otherwise) creating the space needed to keep all 10 of:
Stanley
Cleveland
Bozeman
Zeitler
Kelly/Villaneuva
TCC
Bredeson
Powers
Phillips
Mekari

... with 9 of them on the 53.

[stevez51]

With a lot of teams not able to scout out players + college players & teams opting out or only playing 7-8 games, there's going to be lots of guessing. We may find a UDFA that comes in.

[iceman43]

I don't think we have anything like a clear picture of anything based on what happened yesterday.

I like Ben Cleveland, I like very heavy + fast for how heavy he is. 6'6 343 5.05. Those numbers there are good. He's been notably large for years now, I was looking at him before last years draft.

But I have trouble seeing Ben Cleveland as the mobile, pulling LG.

I think that many here (me, and others) saw that Center and Right Tackle were the spots that need fixing, and it doesn't look like they got a guy who easily goes right in there. It seems like Ben Cleveland is a powerful RG, and Zeitler is presumably supposed to go to RG. Ben Cleveland isn't really all that different, physically, than Orlando Brown (especially on the point of weight). Theoretically, Cleveland could play RT?

Last year, after the draft and before the season, there was a long thread where people were guessing what the Ravens would do. Pretty much no one guessed that Skura would be Center, and many guessed that Bozeman would be the Center. Maybe this year will be like last year, where it isn't clear what they're going to do and we might be guessing.

Whatever it is, I do like Ben Cleveland, and that massive size + good speed is something I like. He seems like Right Guard though. Spencer Brown, the one I was talking about the most, was taken 1 before Ben Cleveland. Oh well.

Draft Drew Himmelman today sometime? Spencer Brown with no pro day numbers. I've been talking about him too. The Ravens have a good number of picks left.

I wanted brown or himmelman as well

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[Dirt1]

EDC may yet draft Trey Hill from Georgia, a guy formerly with high upside, but who is coming off knee surgery. Mekari is very likely better than anybody they uncover in the 6th or 7th round.

They may draft Trey Hill and basically give him a redshirt year to fully recover from knee surgery. This is likely the last year that Bozeman will be on the Ravens if they move him to Center. OGs make more money in FA than Centers. Bozeman will leave after this year to play for a team that will bring him in to play OG.


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[JimZipCode]

Ok, that's great. That literally has nothing to do with his pulling ability. It should, but a lot of the time OL 40 times don't translate for squat on pullin ability.

Pulling ability has a lot more to do with being able to aim your hips and hands while on the move.
...
I love Cleveland as a road grader, line pusher, pass protector and all around bouncer –– but if his assignment is out in space, he's less than half effective. He's a liability almost at that point

Here's a clip of him pulling:

Spencer N. Schultz
@ravens4dummies
1:50 AM · May 1, 2021
https://twitter.com/ravens4dummies/s...70116887388161

Cleveland on the GT pull. Established himself outside shoulder of his target and seals him back inside. That’s a BIIIIIIIIIIIG fella pulling.
[video]

Not to argue, this is literally *ALL* I know about it. If you've looked at his film, then you know a lot more than I do.

[JimZipCode]

We should see if we can trade Mekari for a 7th or 6th rder

Hot take that maybe only I think:

Mekari can play RT pretty well.