Brandon
Cleveland.
Brandon
Cleveland.
NC State· 6'3"· 307 lb· 5.12s 40
R7 · #229 · Las Vegas Raiders"A base-down nose and gap-controller in the Stacy McGee mold: a rotational interior body whose job is to eat blocks on early downs and leave the field on third."Pre-draft read
Cleveland is a base-down interior lineman, comfortable from zero-technique to three, whose value is in occupying blockers. He keeps his feet under him against down blocks and folds, allowing linebackers to remain clean. A squatty, thick-hipped 307 pounds, he fires low and delivers a functional punch. The bull rush is his primary pass-rush move, capable of walking a guard into the pocket when he establishes inside hand placement.
What is missing is a counter-move repertoire. After the bull rush is absorbed, his rush often dies quickly. He lacks an ability to shed once blockers engage due to short length. His movement skills are honest rather than explosive. The splash line across 45 games is modest, reflecting a two-down body who holds up on early downs and comes off on third.
The Las Vegas Raiders run a specific one-gap 4-3 penetrating front with extensive stunting.
Rotational early-down interior anchor to occupy blocks and free up linebackers and pass-rushers, with practice squad upside as a depth run stopper.
A scheme that asks him to regularly generate pass rush or survive on third downs, as his short arms and lack of counter moves will be heavily exposed.
Cleveland projects as an immediate contributor in a limited, run-stopping role, leveraging his squatty frame and functional bull rush to hold up fronts, but his impact will be tied to volume rather than splash plays.
2026 NFL Draft Gems - #25 DT Brandon Cleveland (NC State)
Film breakdown of his senior tape at NC State, focused on the bull rush and his work as a base-down anchor.
NC State DL Brandon Cleveland Speaks at the NFL Combine
Combine podium session where he discusses playing 0-technique through 3-technique and cutting weight for the pre-draft process.
The Raiders Draft HIGH UPSIDE Run Defender Brandon Cleveland + Multiple DBs
Draft-day reaction breaking down the seventh-round selection and his projected role in the Las Vegas run front.
Cleveland projects as an early-down interior anchor and gap-controller for a multiple-front run defense. His value lies in his ability to occupy blockers with a low pad level and thick base, rather than in splash plays or pass-rush upside. A team is buying a reliable, scheme-versatile run stuffer who has been productive in that role for four years at a high level of competition.
He emerged from Carrollwood Day as a fringe four-star and spent four seasons at NC State, appearing in 45 games with 26 consecutive starts as a junior and senior. His senior year showcased his best run defense, with a career-high 7.0 tackles for loss on 484 snaps and a 72.2 PFF grade while playing at 320 pounds at times. He trimmed to 307 for the pre-draft process, demonstrating good weight management.
Evaluators were concerned by his short arm length (32 3/8 inches) and small hands (9 1/4 inches), which limit his ability to disengage and control blocks. His athletic profile is functional but not explosive outside of a 5.12 forty. Without all-conference honors or significant splash production, he still offered genuine base-down value as a four-year starter, leading to his selection by Las Vegas in the seventh round as a rotational run defender.
- 01
Alignment versatility
comfortable from 0-technique through 3-technique and 4i, fitting multiple-front run defenses.
- 02
Durability and availability
played 45 games from 2022 to 2025 with 26 consecutive starts as a junior and senior.
- 03
Functional bull rush
an initial punch that walks guards backward when he lands the first hand inside.
- 04
Pad level and base
maintains low leverage and a thick base, holding ground against down blocks and folds.
- 05
Run defense production
career-high 7.0 tackles for loss as a senior on 484 snaps with a 72.2 PFF grade.
- 01
Short arm length
32 3/8 inches, limiting his ability to shed blocks once engaged by longer offensive linemen.
- 02
Small hands
9 1/4 inches, which limits grip strength and a consistent ability to control offensive linemen.
- 03
Limited pass-rush repertoire
primarily wins with a bull rush, lacking counter moves or a developed hand plan.
- 04
Modest splash production
6.0 sacks in 45 games with only two forced fumbles, one recovery, and no interceptions.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 5.12sp50
- Vertical
- —in
- Broad jump
- —in
- Three-cone
- —s
- Shuttle
- —s
- Bench
- —rep
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | NC State | 6 | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | NC State | 13 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | NC State | 13 | 36 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | NC State | 13 | 36 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | — | 45 | 105 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Honors
- Four-year contributor at NC State (2022-2025) with no redshirt season
- By his own account 26 consecutive starts across the 2024 and 2025 seasons
- Career-high 7.0 tackles for loss as a senior in 2025, with a 72.2 PFF grade on 484 snaps
- 2022 signee rated a composite four-star by On3 (89.00) out of Carrollwood Day School in Tampa
- Invited to and participated in the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine (DL06)
- No all-conference, All-American or national watch-list honors were found in any source
A rotational base-down interior body who plays 250 to 400 snaps a year and gives a defense a reliable run-front piece.
The ceiling if the play strength and low pad level translate: a thick early-down interior starter who anchors a front for a decade.
The floor if the length and the absent counter package cap him: a camp and practice-squad interior lineman who never locks down a role.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Las Vegas closed its draft with the least glamorous pick on the board and got exactly what it went looking for: a 307-pound Power Four run defender who has already played 45 college games and been asked to hold two gaps in a real ACC front. Cleveland has no all-conference honors, six career sacks and 32⅜-inch arms, and none of that matters much for the job he was drafted to do. What matters is the low pad level, the thick base and the 26 straight starts, because seventh-round interior linemen make rosters by being trustworthy on first and second down.
Realistic outcome: a rotational base-down body who plays 250 to 400 snaps a season and comes off the field on third. The high end is a Daron Payne-style early-down anchor if the play strength holds up in the NFL; the floor is a camp lineman whose length and missing counter package leave him on the practice squad.