Film Breakdown: Damien Lewis Poised to Shine as Immediate Starter for Seahawks
In the days following the conclusion of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seahawks haven't done anything to temper lofty expectations for third round pick Damien Lewis.
After coach Pete Carroll indicated Lewis would immediately compete for a starting role, Seattle released incumbent starting right guard D.J. Fluker just two days later. General manager John Schneider continued to talk up the former LSU standout on 950 KJR on Thursday, making it sound as if he was already penciled into the lineup.
“Once we drafted Damien," Schneider said. "Everybody felt like we were drafting a starting right guard in the National Football League. He’s just a man.”
Selected with the 69th overall pick, Lewis will enter his rookie season as the heavy favorite to start at right guard for Seattle from day one. After releasing Fluker earlier this week, his main competition will be oft-injured Jordan Simmons and former first round pick Chance Warmack, who didn't even play in 2019.
As always, the Seahawks won't give Lewis a starting role, but Carroll believes he will be ready to seize the opportunity and won't shy away from the competition.
"He won’t take a back seat to anybody," Carroll remarked. "He’s going to come in here and battle for it. We feel really good. That’s really part of the reason why we took him. We want him to come in here and battle to play. All of that competition will make us better.”
Set to begin his NFL career, it's not surprising the Seahawks view the former Tigers standout so highly. He checks off numerous boxes the organization looks for both from an on-field and off-field standpoint.
At 6-foot-2, 327 pounds, Lewis can squat a small house and bench presses 475 pounds in the weight room. His impressive strength feats play well on the field, as he consistently bullied top SEC competition in the trenches.
Lewis also has battled through the adversity Seattle covets in draft prospects, as he was forced to grow up quickly with his father incarcerated for drug-related charges. Though he didn't receive a single Division I offer coming out of high school, he persevered by taking the junior college route before eventually thriving at LSU.
With such high expectations, what can the Seahawks expect from Lewis upon his arrival? Check out my latest film breakdown as I revisit five of his games from the 2019 season and examine his strengths/weaknesses as a run blocker and pass protector.
