Terrell

Lewis

Lewis (6’5/262) would arguably be discussed as a first-round EDGE if it weren’t for the torn elbow ligament he sustained in Alabama’s 2017 season opener (which forced him to miss 10 games) and a torn ACL suffered the very next summer. He successfully bounced back in 2019, earning second-team All-SEC honors as a redshirt junior, but still lacks the on-field reps after logging only 685 career snaps across four starts for the Crimson Tide. Lewis’ bend off the edge is a valuable trait, but he’s admittedly short the arsenal of a locked-in Day 1 prospect. Assuming he can stay healthy, the upside of an impact NFL pass rusher is absolutely there.

Talent and skill have never been in question for Lewis. Various injuries, mostly of the knee variety, kept Lewis (6'5/262) out for most of the 2016-2018 seasons. When he was on the field, however, he looked like Alabama’s pass-rusher. It was not until 2019 that Lewis was able to play 10 games and have a legitimate breakout season. In those 10 games, Lewis racked up 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks, proving himself a bit of a “jack-of-all-trades” type of edge defender. “The durability stuff scares me,” as one scout says, but Lewis has all the ability necessary to be a good player at the next level.

While Lewis played three years of ball at Alabama, the 6-foot-5, 262-pounder saw the field in just 26 games with the Crimson Tide due to injury concerns. And due to those injuries, Zierlein notes that he’s a little more raw technically than he might have been otherwise. He’ll need coaching and developmental patience. Beyond that, the analyst writes that Lewis “needs to fill out his long, athletic build with more girth and muscle to help set stronger edges and hold his ground against downhill rushing attacks.” Lewis did not run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and with pro days currently washed out by the coronavirus, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to show out on that front before April’s draft. Medical checks from Indianapolis are going to be crucial for his draft slot.

Lewis (6'5/262) showed out well with his jumps, particularly his vertical jump (seventh-best among combine linebackers) but opted not to take part in the 40-yard dash. He’ll have a chance to run the straight-line sprint at Alabama’s pro day on March 24, should he so choose. Lewis struggled with injury during his time in Tuscaloosa and the results of his medical checks are going to play into his ultimate evaluation. We’re on the outside looking in, there, as medical checks are understandably not released publicly.

Lewis (6'5/254) has battled injury throughout his time at Alabama, notably missing the whole of the 2018 campaign due to a torn ACL, but he did manage to appear in 10 games in 2019, recording 31 tackles (11.0 for loss) and six sacks to go with two passes defensed in that space. While Lewis has the talent for a Day 1 selection, we imagine that medical checks are going to be huge in the spring. He plays a demanding, impactful style of defense when healthy. Lewis is not expected to play in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan on New Year’s Day.

It doesn’t look like Lewis has officially declared for the draft, but after participating in the program’s Senior Day earlier this season and now looking to skip on the team’s bowl game, he seems to be out the door. Lewis, a 6-foot-5, 254-pound pass-rusher, is teetering on being a first-round pick. It’s fair for a player in his position to want to preserve his health rather than play in a bowl game. Lewis finishes the season with six sacks in 10 appearances.

Lewis (6'5/254) also broke up a pass, and head coach Nick Saban seemed pleased with what he saw. “Terrell was able to play a little bit today, which we were happy about that. But it’s always going to be a little bit day-to-day with how he can go about what he has to do,” Saban said. The good news is that Alabama has a week to rest its bumps and bruises before play resumes at Texas A&M on Oct. 12.

Hat tip to AL.com’s Mike Rodak on the observation. That makes two straight days in which Lewis has been able to take part in practice. The 6-foot-5, 254-pound redshirt junior’s status for Saturday’s contest against Ole Miss has not yet been determined, but so far, there is positive momentum toward a potential return this weekend. Lewis is making his way back from a hyperextended knee sustained against South Carolina two weekends back. He subsequently sat out against Southern Miss while resting up.

Lewis (6'5/254) did not report to practice on Monday, but should be back Tuesday or Wednesday, according to Saban, and could be in good shape to play vs Ole Miss on Sept. 28. Lewis was sidelined for last week’s game against Southern Miss after hyperextending his knee the week before at South Carolina. He also sat out the entire 2018 season with a torn ACL, so this is not Lewis’ first battle with knee issues. In three appearances in 2019, Lewis has recorded six tackles and one sack.

According to Saban, Lewis (6'5/254) hyperextended his knee during the Crimson Tide’s Sept. 14 win at South Carolina. That explains the redshirt junior’s absence from Saturday’s 49-7 win over Southern Miss. The hope in Tuscaloosa is that Lewis will be able to resume practicing on Tuesday as Alabama prepares for its Sept. 28 matchup with Ole Miss.