On Tuesday, the Cleveland Browns swung a trade, sending a 2028 seventh-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for offensive tackle KT Leveston, a seventh-round selection in last year's draft. What does he provide as a player, and what made the Browns decide to trade for him, rather than wait for roster cuts to bring in their 10th and final offensive lineman?
The first thing that stands out with Leveston is his size. He is listed at 6-5 330 pounds, and is densely built from head to toe. He also has 34 3/8" arms, giving him the requisite length to play tackle in the NFL.
Leveston spent five seasons at Kansas, starting his final two years at LT. Coming out of school, there was discussion about whether his best fit in the pros would be at guard, given his subpar explosiveness and agility combined with his mean streak as a run blocker. Perhaps the Browns will explore moving him around, but for now, he's listed as a tackle, and would be the third-stringer behind Cornelius Lucas and starters Dawand Jones and Jack Conklin.
The Browns got to see Leveston up close and personal this past Sunday, and two days later they closed the deal for him. He clearly impressed the front office and coaching staff with how he played, as he didn't look out of place even against Cleveland's starting (or at least near-starting) defense, and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka experienced that first-hand. The Browns have not had a tackle with an edge as a run blocker in quite a while, and Leveston fits that description perfectly. He's a high-motor player who plays to (and often through) the whistle, and irritates his opponents throughout the game.
During the 2025 Preseason, Leveston played the ninth-most snaps of any OT in the NFL, and among all qualified tackles (20% snap qualifier), he led the league in Pro Football Focus overall grade, was fourth in run-blocking grade, and 22nd in pass-blocking grade. Yes, those numbers need to be taken in context given the level of competition, but they are impressive nonetheless.