Rams OLB Terrell Lewis needs a breakout year
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After the LA Rams drafted Alabama outside linebacker Terrell Lewis with the 84th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft (6.29 draft grade per NFL.com), it seemed as though the Rams had matched a huge roster need with a hugely talented individual. Lewis was a prospect who was difficult to get a good fix on when and where he might hear his name called. Talent-wise, he was a standout.
The 6-foot-5 262-pound rookie edge rusher was devastating on the football field for the Crimson Tide, which created quite a buzz over his potential in the NFL. When healthy, he was easy to pick out on video footage, as he was near the football and or the quarterback. The big problem was the simple fact that he was injured multiple times during his collegiate career.
That would have been the end of it, as all that college stuff is quickly eclipsed by their first NFL season. Unfortunately, the pattern of injuries that began in his college football playing days carried over into his rookie season. He was unavailable through the first four games of the 2020 NFL season. He was activated for game five of the season, and he played for six games before he was returned to the bench to heal a lingering knee soreness.
He returned for the final two games of the season, and the first playoff game before his season ended. In the end, he converted 124 defensive snaps into five tackles and two quarterback sacks. Not exactly the type of season that the Rams had hoped for by drafting him as their top defensive rookie.
The first impression left something to be desired
Okay, so first impressions aside, it’s a brand new year. The Rams clearly have a greater opportunity for Lewis this year, having parted ways with Samson Ebukam and Derek Rivers. The question now is whether Lewis can step up and absorb a greater role on the Rams defense in 2021.
I believe he can, but I’m willing to sit on the fence for the moment. After all, a rookie debut of just 124 defensive snaps is not exactly a promising first step to a stellar NFL career. But it does not mean that Lewis is hopeless either. It’s merely an incomplete, a season that didn’t have enough evidence to form a defendable position either way.
Athletically, the sky is the limit for this young man. Durability-wise, the Rams were wise to add Chris Garrett as depth to the position and to sign Max Roberts as well. That gives the Rams a solid seven to enter training camp with. But it doesn’t answer the question, what do the Rams need from Terrell Lewis in 2021?
A breakout season
Well, for starters, the Rams would love to see Lewis play in all 17 games. That need not be 17 starts, merely available to suit up and enter the game’s rotation. With the Rams losing Ebukam, it would be great if Terrell Lewis could elevate his performance to start at least 10 of the 17 games in the 2021 NFL season. That would translate into 400 defensive snaps, a huge increase over his 124 defensive snaps from 2020.
Production-wise? A great year from Lewis would likely result in 40 tackles, six quarterback sacks, and perhaps even an interception. But even as the Rams have come to count on Leonard Floyd to own every function at the edge, it would be great if Lewis could demonstrate that same amount of universal proficiency opposite Floyd. If Lewis can do it all, then the Rams can focus their efforts upon the garnishments and flourishes to complement Lewis on the roster.
Of course, it all starts with durability, and that has been the bane of Terrell Lewis’ football career so far. Lewis is a passionate player who energizes his play from the emotional energy from fans and pundits, and anything short of a standing ovation runs the risk of interpretation as negative feedback. It’s not intended as such. It’s simply the reality. The LA Rams must play 17 regular-season games in 2021, and hopefully as many as four post-season games. To be successful, the Rams will need Terrell Lewis healthy and playing at the top of his game.
If he can do that, the rest will follow.
