2020 NFL Draft: Denver Broncos Select Gators WR Tyrie Cleveland
After a productive career at the University of Florida, former Gators wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland finally realized his dream of entering the NFL after being selected with the 252nd pick in the seventh round in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos.
Denver has selected three receivers in the draft: Alabama's Jerry Jeudy in the first round and Penn State's K.J. Hamler in the second round.
Cleveland played four years at Florida, primarily playing the deep-threat, Z-receiver role with the Gators, averaging 16.1 yards per receptions on 79 receptions in his career.
A player who was likely pushed a bit down due to the depth the Gators have had at the receiver position over recent years, along with being utilized in Dan Mullen's spread offense, featuring a heavy rotation at the position, Cleveland should still be utilized effectively in the NFL and will play heavily on special teams.
With only 1,271 career yards and eight career touchdowns, Cleveland clearly showed enough on tape to be coveted enough to be drafted this year, most likely due to his unique size and speed combination at 6-foot-2, 202 pounds, while running a 4.46 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine earlier this year.
Extremely athletic, Cleveland jumped a ridiculous 39.5 inches in the vertical jump, while adding 126 inches on the broad jump. His athletic web, comparing his Combine results to NFL receivers, provides insight as to why he was a coveted prospect.
Cleveland is a high character prospect, routinely visiting Finley Elementary School in Gainesville, Florida among other community services organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, and Habitat for Humanity.
The Broncos will be getting a high-upside player with plenty of room to grow, able to be molded into an eventual rotational piece, and could become a major asset in the NFL.
Cleveland joins a large list of former Gators to be selected this year, including C.J. Henderson, Van Jefferson, Jabari Zuniga, Jonathan Greenard, Lamical Perine, and Freddie Swain.
Check out our team fits for Cleveland to gain a bit more insight into what the receiver can provide.
