Atlanta Falcons Draft Spotlight: WR Dezmin Lewis
The wide receiver position has caught some attention through the offseason. The departure of former WR Harry Douglas to free agency led to the acquisition of WR Leonard Hankerson.
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With the signing of Hankerson, the depth chart of the Atlanta Falcons now have three receivers in their top four at 6’0″ or taller and over 205 pounds.
In other words, the Falcons receiver corps has some pretty good size to their arsenal.
In today’s ‘Draft Spotlight’, we’ll discuss another big bodied receiver who can add to the depth of the Falcons and create even more matchup problems along with Julio Jones, Roddy White, Leonard Hankerson, and Devin Hester.
Dezmin Lewis Draft Profile
Height: 6’4
Weight: 216
Strengths
First thing that pops up for the Central Arkansas product is his size. At 6’4 216 lbs, he already has NFL size without even having experience in an NFL weight room.
Natural hands to pluck the ball out of the air. Lewis also has after the catch ability to recognize defenders and avoid contact. Route running is savvy for a big pass catcher.
Difficult to jam at the line which caused most defenders played off coverage due to his size.
Lewis also shows that he’s able to display good concentration and track the ball over his shoulder. In addition, he has decent speed which definitely has the opportunity to improve at the next level.
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- Atlanta Falcons trade up for a quarterback in this full mock draft
- Atlanta Falcons: 3 trade packages to land first-overall pick
- 4 QBs Atlanta Falcons could target in rumored trade for No. 1 pick
- 3 Things Atlanta Falcons fans learned from Terry Fontenot at combine presser
- NFL insider says Atlanta Falcons will make play for No. 1 pick in draft
Weaknesses
The level of competition is a red flag so his learning curve may be a little longer than most. As he looked good against the smaller schools, the question is can he show similar ability against corners from the SEC or ACC?
Some scouts question the toughness of Lewis as some film shows him running out of bounds instead of using that size of his and sometimes fighting for extra yards.
Lewis sometimes uses deception to go deep instead of speed and instincts. That will come into play against corners with a higher football IQ.
Outlook
A true late round diamond in the rough. Lewis is a project but with a solid WR corps already in place for the Falcons, the team can afford to take a late round project, hand him to WR coach Terry Robiskie and let him create magic.
He looks the part as an NFL receiver, but with a “redshirt” type year where he can develop blocking skills from Roddy and learn how to use the size he has been given like Julio does, Lewis can turn into an asset down the road as we begin to come upon the post-Roddy era.
The raw skills are there for Lewis, but what’s needed is time.
Next: Falcons Schedule Release: Breaking Down Every Matchup