NFL Draft Profile: Buffaloes LB Drew Lewis

The NFL Draft begins Thursday the 25th and runs through Saturday the 27th. There are five Colorado Buffaloes who may be drafted — Evan Worthington, Drew Lewis, Juwann Winfree, Javier Edwards and Travon McMillian — although they are likely late-round selections or will be undrafted.

Strengths

Drew Lewis is a freak athlete. He can make plays all over the field mostly because he’s incredibly quick and fast for his position. He’s somewhat undersized at 6’1, 230 lbs. (it feels strange to say that’s small) but he’s strong as hell and plays downhill in a way that maximizes his frame and speed. He has some good versatility as well, as he has played inside linebacker, edge rusher and is athletic enough to run with tight ends and larger receivers. His pass rushing is probably his best attribute even if it doesn’t show up in his raw stats. He likely lacks the fundamentals and consistency to be an every down linebacker, but he could carve out a situational role as a versatile player who can blitz or hold up in coverage. More likely, he’s going to be a special teams contributor with his speed.

Weaknesses

Lewis is an exceptional athlete who oozes potential, but he has struggled with the little things like understanding his role on defense, taking good routes to the ball carrier, being too aggressive, and so on. These weaknesses can be coached up, but he’s fairly raw for someone who will be 24 years old at the start of the NFL season. There’s also not much you can improve if someone just doesn’t see the field as well as most other linebackers competing for an NFL spot.

Draft range

6th or 7th round, but likely undrafted.

NFL Comparison

Sio Moore