With the mock drafts rolling in rapidly now that the football season is officially over, many sites have the San Diego Chargers selecting a pass-rusher in the first or second round. One name that caught my attention this week is Ronnell Lewis, a defensive end/outside linebacker prospect from the University of Oklahoma.
It’s tough for me to understand why Lewis is projected to be picked in the second round. At 6-2, 244 pounds, he didn’t exactly produce much for the Sooners during his three seasons in Norman, as he finished his college career with 10 sacks and 20.5 tackles for losses. His best season was last fall, when he recorded 5.5 sacks and 13 tackles in the backfield. Those numbers pale in comparison to the stats compiled by the top pass-rushers in this draft class.
Still, according to National Football Post’s Wes Bunting, Lewis is a second-round talent capable of producing an impact on special teams and collecting six-to-eight sacks per season in the NFL.
“Overall, his game reminds me some of former 2010 second round pick Sergio Kindle and former 2011 third round pick Justin Houston,” Bunting writes in a scouting report on Lewis. “He’s an explosive kid with a ‘plus’ first step, generates a lot of natural explosion into contact and is a powerful striker. He’s got the ability to threaten the edge, fend off blocks through contact and shoot gaps well inside.
“However, I don’t see a ton of savvy to his game as a pass rusher yet. Lewis isn’t a real sudden kid when trying to slip blocks and counter off his speed rush and does look a bit tight when trying to work his way around the edge.”
Given Lewis’s lack of production, and considering the agathokakological scouting report written by Bunting, I believe the Chargers should focus on getting one of the other top pass-rushers in the first two rounds. Perhaps Lewis would be a nice pick in the fourth round; anytime earlier than that appears to be a reach.
Ronnell Lewis highlights
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