Overview
Position: Edge defender
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 265 pounds
School: Ohio State Buckeyes
Combine Performance Data
Vertical jump: 35.5 inches
Broad jump: 10 feet, 2 inches
Tyquan Lewis 2018 NFL Draft Profile
A lynchpin of Ohio State’s formidable defensive front over the past four years, Tyquan Lewis has a chance to become part of another impressive Buckeye draft class. Much like Lewis, many of those prospects played a part in that dominance at the line of scrimmage on defense. It includes names such as Sam Hubbard, Jalyn Holmes, Jerome Baker and Chris Worley. All of them should be off the board at some point over the three-day frenzy that is the NFL Draft.
Prior to his time in Columbus, Lewis made a name for himself at North Carolina high school powerhouse Tarboro. He made the state title game each year he was there, winning it three out of four times. It led to him commanding plenty of scholarship offers from big-time programs, including OSU, LSU, and Clemson. But the consensus four-star recruit gave his pledge to Urban Meyer and comprised a 2013 recruiting class ranked second in the nation according to Rivals.
Lewis didn’t see much action during Ohio State’s national championship year of 2014. But of his nine tackles that year, three resulted in lost yardage for the opponent. His role expanded dramatically the following year. He registered a sack or tackle for loss in nine of the 12 games he played in, finishing no worse than 10th in the Big Ten in both categories. As a junior, he won the conference’s defensive player of the year while earning all-Big Ten recognition in both of his final two seasons with the Buckeyes. His 23.5 career sacks rank fifth on the school’s all-time list.
Strengths
- persistent and determined player who goes to the whistle;
- able to slither laterally into inside gaps to create havoc in the backfield;
- solid hand fighter who can use arm over moves to shed blocks;
- versatile enough to play on the edge and inside as a three and five-technique penetrator;
- tight ends and running backs will struggle to keep him at bay in pass blocking situations;
- two-time team captain who commanded the respect of locker room in college.
Weaknesses
- ordinary initial burst off the snap;
- lateral athleticism is more lumbering than twitchy;
- doesn’t achieve enough power with bull rush and can get navigated away from quarterback;
- unable to torque hips at the point of attack to create consistent speed to power;
- gets caught up in the muck and doesn’t disengage to pursue play;
- very ploddy footwork when changing direction;
- saw a decline in starter reps late in college career.
NFL Comparison: Pernell McPhee
Teams With Need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles
Projection: Late round depth add
Bottom Line
There are a variety of concerns regarding Lewis’ ability to consistently contribute at the next level. His athleticism and ability to generate power at the point of attack don’t particularly jump out on tape. OSU’s impressive defensive line depth also led to him seeing less of the field in 2017 than in previous years. Though he has value from a versatility standpoint when it comes to scheme fit, his lack of burst and limited play strength might inhibit him defending the run. For that reason, teams might look at him as a late round developmental project at this point.
