Terrell Lewis smiles at perfect fit with Falcons
INDIANAPOLIS — Terrell Lewis possesses the perfect NFL linebacker name.
And it just so happens to be a combination of two legends he grew up idolizing.
Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis.
“I’ve been watching the Ravens since I was young, growing up in the Washington D.C. area,” Lewis said Thursday at the NFL Combine. “Obviously, I’ve looked up to guys like Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis.”
Lewis, a former Alabama edge rusher, has all the physical tools to be like the previously-mentioned Raven greats.
He stands six-foot-five and weighs nearly 260 pounds while toting great burst off the line of scrimmage. As a prospect coming out of college, he compares to the once-highly-touted Vic Beasley, a 2015 Atlanta Falcons first-rounder.
But in college, Lewis struggled to stay healthy. He lost 10 games to an elbow injury during his sophomore year before tearing his ACL and taking a medical redshirt the following season. He said his medical history played a factor in his decision to skip Alabama’s bowl game.
“It’s just a testament to God and him helping me persevere throughout all the adversity I faced in my college career,” Lewis said. “To still be able to make it to a place like this, that was the goal from the beginning.”
Because of his past injuries, Lewis is raw. He put forth a solid redshirt junior year, though, appearing in 10 games while finishing second on the team in sacks (6.0) and tackles for loss (11.5).
“Obviously, I feel like I’m a player that’s versatile on the field,” Lewis said. “You see me play on the edge, see me rush from the 3-technique, see me play at nose tackle, see me play at stack linebacker, drop in space and stuff like that. I try to express that to teams that I can play in multiple ways.”
Recent mock drafts have Lewis on the rise, sneaking up as high as the mid-first round.
He has been a rumored target of the Falcons, whom he has already met with. He couldn’t contain his excitement about that, smiling as he confirmed the interview with them.
“Oh, I think I fit well (with Atlanta) on and off the field,” Lewis said as he let out another small chuckle.
With the physical tools to make his post-Combine stock soar, Lewis could very well be taken in the mid-first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, around the Falcons’ No. 16 overall pick, especially if he can show improvement with his technique.
He already holds the requisite name and body.
