2020 NFL Draft: Alabama edge rusher Terrell Lewis continues to impress
Terrell Lewis has been impressive for Alabama this season and is an interesting 2020 NFL Draft prospect to watch going forward.
There was so much 2020 NFL Draft talent on the field in Saturday’s massive college football matchup between Alabama and LSU, that it was difficult to keep track of everybody. Quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa received a majority of the attention, but it was Alabama edge rusher Terrell Lewis who consistently stood out to me on the initial watch of this game.
Lewis’ impact did not necessarily show up on the stat sheet. He finished the game against LSU with seven total tackles, half of a tackle for loss and one fumble recovery. He did not have any sacks in the game, but Lewis was the Alabama rusher who was able to get the most consistent pressure on Burrow.
Lewis gets off the ball quickly and shows an impressive combination of explosive athleticism and flexibility. He consistently gets incredible upfield burst on the outside and can bend around the edge with ease. Lewis has the ideal length for an edge rusher and possesses an impressive long arm move in his repertoire. The Alabama product also attacks the inside well, knifing quickly inside the offensive tackle and creating pressure nearly every time he decides to dip inside.
Our own Jake Schyvinck also had an eye on Lewis in this game and clipped out a few plays where Lewis stood out. Lewis just explodes off of the screen on these plays.
Goodness Terrell Lewis. Good jump and long arms to get by and create pressure. pic.twitter.com/syq9p8eQw2
— Jake Schyvinck (@JakeNFLDraft) November 9, 2019
Long arm move from Lewis here and nearly finishes with a sack. He affects the QB so much. pic.twitter.com/vSonLklZ87
— Jake Schyvinck (@JakeNFLDraft) November 9, 2019
As impressive as Lewis is off of the snap and at the line of scrimmage, he does have some work to do in order to reach his full upside at the next level. As you can see above, Lewis plays out of control at times and struggles to close on the quarterback. He is great at creating pressure, but I would love to see Lewis break down and close on the passer on a much more consistent basis.
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Lewis is an extremely talented edge rusher who has a bright NFL future. If he can clean up his game just a bit and do a better job of finishing plays on the pass rush, Lewis could become an unstoppable force. Regardless, he is putting himself in a position to be a first-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.