More goes into evaluating 2018 NFL Draft prospects than good film at a marquee program. Has Tyquan Lewis benefited too much from being a Buckeye?
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As each draft class comes and goes there one can’t help but look back and see all the players that were taken too high or too low. It’s easy to get hung up on big names and big programs, forcing small school guys to truly be special to be considered in the first round conversation.
Tyquan Lewis is no small school player, and he’s well on his way to being a Top 50 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Is he worth the high selection or have teams been duped by the Ohio State swagger?
Strengths
Players don’t become back-to-back first team All-Big Ten selections by being average. Not only did Lewis receive that honor twice, he was named the conference’s Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2016.
Lewis was able to achieve those accolades with quickness and an explosive first step. He gets to blockers before they’re ready for him, bypassing them and making a bee-line to the quarterback. If offensive lineman don’t position themselves well, Lewis can find himself around the edge and in the backfield in a hurry.
Weaknesses
The frenetic pace that Lewis frequently played with in college was more passionate than it was disciplined. Lewis isn’t an extraordinary athlete – he wasn’t even the best edge rusher on his own team last season. The effort is there, but the power and finesse simply aren’t. Lewis palyed with passion, but his floor is much lower than fellow Ohio State defensive end Sam Hubbard, who is a fringe first round prospect himself.
More: 2018 NFL Draft Profile – Sam Hubbard, the safest Day 2 selection
Lewis’ lack of awareness against the run was troubling. He doesn’t have the agility to recover if he makes one wrong step, and fundamentally isn’t yet clean enough to out-maneuver blockers off the edge. Too often he allows his opponent to dictate the direction of movement rather than attacking the edge.
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Draft expectations
When everything is clicking Lewis looks like a top-flight prospect. At the pinnacle of his game he looks like the real deal, but how often he can play at that zenith will be the determining factor when it comes to his NFL success. Having the backing off his Ohio State accolades and strong college production will make him an early Day 2 selection.
Projection: Round 2, Pick No. 51 overall to the Detroit Lions