23. Terrell Lewis, EDGE, Alabama
Height: 6’5″ Weight: 262
40-Yard Dash: N/A
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 37.0 inches
Broad Jump: 124.0 inches
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: A top recruit in the Washington, D.C. area, Lewis took a path taken by a lot of top recruits to the Crimson Tide. He had eight pressures in 34 pass-rushing snaps as a true freshman in 2016 in a defense that has generally proved impossible for true freshmen to crack. Building on that in 2017 was tough due to an arm injury that caused him to miss 10 games, but he still amassed 10 total pressures on just 84 pass-rushing snaps. Lewis then missed the entire 2018 season with a torn ACL and was only able to flash his true potential in his final collegiate season of 2019, when he put up all kinds of pressure.
“To basically cherish everything,” Lewis said at the combine, about what he learned through all the injuries. “Cherish everything that you’re going through. Going through things like that, it kind of takes your focus away from the game, to the point where you cherish other aspects in life. Cherish your faith, cherish your family time when you get it. And also just as far as the game, you learn so much from a different perspective as far as being able to watch things from a coaches perspective.
“My coaches did a good job of still keeping me in the game and around my teammates, to the point where I don’t lose my football IQ. And I can see things from their eyes and watch film with them, and see what they see and sit with them. So then by the time I come back playing football, I know what to expect. I can see things. I’m basically like a coach on the field. Like, I’ll see a motion happen and I’m like, okay, I know what’s coming. I see the situation. They really teach you how to watch film and watch football from a distance.”
Stat to Know: Finally healthy in 2019, Lewis had six sacks, seven quarterback hits, and 35 quarterback hurries in just 259 pass-rushing snaps. His pressure rate of 19.8% ranked third among edge rushers with 100 or more pass-rushing opportunities.
Strengths: Long-limbed movement end who stalks the quarterback with an intriguing mix of short-area quickness and the ability to eat a ton of turf in a big hurry. Explodes off the snap at times, and when he does, it’s very hard for blockers to catch up. Incredibly bendy for a guy his size — can work under blockers and through the hoop at the end of the pocket very well. Has the athleticism and backpedal ability to work short and intermediate as a flat defender. Stabs with his long arms to create spatial advantages he can exploit with quickness to either side. Has an inside counter with plus potential.
Weaknesses: Wins with speed and quickness more than power — saw himself rag-dolled at times by more powerful offensive tackles. Works too high off the snap at times and can be erased if he’s not careful with his pad level. Loses balance battles. Needs the benefit of an NFL weight room. Probably won’t ever present a bull-rush, or any other pure strength moves. Must add to his technique palette to win against more advanced tackles. Some off-ball potential, but he’s probably a one-gap guy.
Conclusion: Given the time he’s missed, Lewis brings a lot of nuance to his game. When he talks about watching film and thinking like a coach, it shows up. Factor that in to the ways in which he showed dominant traits in 2019, and it’s easy to project him as a first-round talent. The injury history is the great unknown, and will likely drop him down boards, but he’s worth the risk.
NFL Comparison: Chandler Jones. One could compare Lewis to any number of “Basketball player as edge-rusher” body types, but he resembles Jones in his quickness to the quarterback, wingspan and movement, and relative lack of power. Durability concerns are obvious, but when he’s healthy, Lewis is an ideal chase-and-catch weakside end.