Cleveland Browns: Grading every 2019 NFL Draft pick
By Cory Kinnan
Round 7: Donnie Lewis Jr., CB, Tulane
Again, late day-three picks are darts thrown at the wall, but the Browns had pretty good aim, this time hitting on Tulane cornerback Donnie Lewis Jr. However, given he did not test at all throughout the pre-draft process, he is a hard prospect to peg.
During his time at Tulane, Lewis played both cornerback and safety, making him a versatile defender for new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks to figure out how to lose. After losing nickel corner/safety Briean Boddy-Calhoun in free agency who filled this hybrid role a year ago, Lewis may have an opportunity to carve out a role for himself immediately.
In 2018, Lewis managed to tally 43 solo tackles, a large number for a cornerback, 2.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions while defending an additional 15 passes. This is great production, but again, without any testing numbers, it is hard to take a stab in the dark as to how he will translate into the NFL.
The Browns have cornerback Terrance Mitchell and safeties Eric Murray and Demarious Randall all entering the last years of their contracts, so adding a versatile defender who can do it all is not a bad piece of depth to covet. At this point, however, Lewis will have to fight to make the active roster as a seventh-round pick.
Grade: B