Getty Bengals CB Donnie Lewis Jr. arrives.
On April 27, the Denver Broncos signed cornerback Donnie Lewis Jr., according to the Broncos’ official site.
With the addition of Lewis, the Broncos continue to add depth at cornerback. They had also agreed to a deal with former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Blessuan Austin on Wednesday.
Both Lewis and Austin had already been participating in the Broncos’ minicamp as tryout players.
The Broncos now have seven cornerbacks on their roster: Patrick Surtain II, Ronald Darby, K’Waun Williams, Essang Bassey, Michael Ojemudia, Austin, and Lewis.
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Lewis Is an Unknown Quantity
Prior to entering the NFL, Lewis was a playmaker at Tulane. In his college career, he amassed seven interceptions and 37 passes defended.
In 2018, he was a second-team All-American Athletic Conference selection.
In his draft profile, NFL.com Lance Zierlein applauded Lewis’s ball skills and instincts, but he expressed concern regarding his physical profile.
Four-year starter with an appetite for challenging throws and making plays on the football. Lewis has average size but the tape shows a lack of long speed that he was unable to dispel during his pro day due to a foot injury (Jones fracture) sustained during Shrine Game practices. He has the instincts and anticipation to compete as an outside corner in zone-heavy coverage or in man coverage over the slot. His ball production is intriguing, but his physical profile fails to stand out.
Lewis was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Lewis did not make the Browns’ final roster, but he was signed to the practice squad. Eventually, the Browns waived Lewis in September 2020.
Shortly after, the Cincinnati Bengals signed Lewis to their practice squad. Unfortunately, he was released in September 2021.
At age 25, Lewis is still an interesting prospect. He is somewhat of an unknown quantity, as he has not appeared in a single NFL regular-season game.
Lewis seems like a long shot to make the final 53-man roster. However, he clearly impressed the Broncos’ front office during minicamp to be signed to the active roster.
During the offseason, teams are allowed to have up to 90 players on their roster. At the moment, the Broncos have 71 players on the roster. If they use all nine of their draft picks, that will bring the total up to 80 players, which would leave 10 spots remaining.
Chad Muma Is an Ideal Target For the Broncos
The Broncos’ draft will officially begin tonight!
PFF’s Ben Linsey named Wyoming linebacker Chad Muma as the Broncos’ “ideal target” on Day 2.
The 6-foot-3, 239-pound linebacker out of Wyoming cleared the 90th percentile at the position in the vertical jump, board jump and bench press. He’s a plus athlete who has good size and put up PFF run-defense, coverage and tackling grades above 75.0 in 2021. Few linebackers in this class have better instincts, and the Broncos can make use of that in the middle of their defense.
Muma would be an excellent fit for the Broncos, and there is a chance that he could still be on the board at pick 64. Teams picking before the Broncos still have plenty of options at inside linebacker, including Georgia’s Nakobe Dean and Alabama’s Christian Harris.