Name: Jourdan Lewis
School: Michigan
Position fit: Cornerback, both outside and in the slot
Stats to know: Highest NFL passer rating allowed over the past three seasons was 47.1 in 2016.
What he does best:
- Elite ball skills. Six interceptions and 28 pass breakups over the past three seasons. Knows how to find the ball and plays it well.
- Feisty in man coverage. Can mirror at the line of scrimmage and a potential asset against the better route-runners at the next level.
- Quick to react to wide receiver screens and come up to make the tackle.
- Good tackler. Missed just five tackles in 2016, and just 13 of the 114 he has attempted over the past three years.
- Solid against the run. Has registered 21 tackles resulting in a defensive stop since 2014.
- Split his time between right cornerback and in the slot.
- Incredibly productive at slot cornerback. Allowed an average of just 0.35 yards per coverage snap when lined up on the inside.
Biggest concern:
- Long speed is an issue. Does he have the speed to stay with some of the best athletes in the world in the NFL?
- Lives dangerously on the deep ball, often getting stacked by receivers though he’s still managed to make plays on the ball at the college level.
- Can be caught biting on double moves, leading to potentially big plays.
- A little bit too grabby at times. Flagged 14 times over the past three seasons and needs to learn to be a bit subtler with contact.
- Struggles with bigger receivers. Gave up 109 yards on seven catches to Michigan State's Aaron Burbridge in 2015.
- At 5-feet-10, there will be questions about his height. Smaller cornerbacks have had plenty of success in the NFL, but it is likely to scare some teams away.
Player comparison: Chris Harris Jr., Denver Broncos
Whether or not Lewis can ever reach the lofty heights that Harris has, the similarities are there. Both were viewed by critics as being undersized, but their play has gone well beyond that. Like Harris, Lewis is excellent at locating the ball and making a play.
Bottom line:
Lewis is a playmaker who, simply put, has been one of the top cornerbacks in college football over the past three years. He makes plays on the ball, and just doesn't allow wide receivers much success against him, giving up just 905 yards in coverage between 2014 and 2016. The big question will be if he can improve his game enough to dominate bigger, faster receivers in the NFL, but in the very least he projects as a solid slot corner at the next level, with the skillset to be even more.
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