Former LSU guard Damien Lewis does not appear to lack confidence as he heads to the NFL. The newest member of the Seahawks FaceTimed with Russell Wilson minutes after Seattle selected him on the second day and was already talking about a Super Bowl run with the franchise quarterback.
“I’m ready to help you win a Super Bowl…I’m ready to make you happy,” Lewis told Wilson, per The News Tribune.
Lewis is the result of the second trade that Seahawks general manager John Schneider pulled off on day two of the draft. Schneider was able to trade down and get more protection for Wilson while adding a fifth-round pick. Lewis is just the latest addition to the Seahawks offensive line in what has been a busy offseason that Seattle spent adding players to try to solidify the position group. The Athletic’s Samuel Gold praised the pick for the Seahawks.
“Damien Lewis is a great pick for the #Seahawks. Definitely fits what they look for in terms of the large body + powerful hands that creates leverage to move defenders out of the way. I like it!” Gold noted on Twitter.
The Seahawks Have 19 Offensive Linemen on the Current Roster
According to NBC Sports’ Joe Fann, Lewis makes the 19th offensive linemen on the current roster. All of these players will not make the final team, but the idea is to create competition to allow the Seahawks to finish with a better product than what we saw last season.
Lewis is expected to compete at right guard but has some position versatility. Heading into the draft, Schneider discussed the decision to sign so many offensive linemen in free agency.
“You know that we are not break-the-bank free agency people,” Schneider said, per Seahawks.com. “We look for commonalities and fits, and what’s important for our quarterback. We love our quarterback. We want to have as many grown men in front of him as we possibly can. It was important for us to be able to identify some people early on, and quite honestly, we hit in our mind what was one, two, three in free agency, and I give our guys a lot of credit for working with the agents, all the meetings at the combine and then getting ready for the three-day period, and Matt Thomas, obviously, to be able to negotiate with these guys in a timely manner, especially in the environment that we are in.”
Lewis Has Also Spent Some Time at Center
According to The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta, Lewis has some experience playing center which gives Seattle flexibility. The Seahawks still plan to use Lewis primarily at guard, but this is sure to continue fueling speculation that Justin Britt’s future with the team is uncertain.
“One added note on Damien Lewis — he practiced some center at Senior Bowl so teams could see how he would look there. So Seattle likely views him as a player who could at least help out there in a pinch,” Condotta tweeted.
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New Seahawks Draft Pick Makes Bold Statement to Russell Wilson