Cleveland Browns 2019 NFL Draft: Donnie Lewis selection grade, reaction

Unless they trade back in, the Cleveland Browns finished their 2019 draft class with Tulane cornerback Donnie Lewis in the seventh round.

The Cleveland Browns continued to lean heavily on the defensive side of the ball in the 2019 NFL Draft, selecting Tulane cornerback Donnie Lewis with the No. 221 overall selection.

Lewis is the third defensive back the Browns have selected in the draft. Cleveland selected cornerback Greedy Williams in the second round and safety Sheldrick Redwine in the fourth round.

Lewis was a four-year starter and played 44 games for Tulane, making 160 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, seven interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown), and 37 passes defensed.

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The 22-year-old will join a now crowded cornerback room and will have to compete for a roster spot. However, he has experience playing multiple positions in the defensive backfield, which could help his case to make the roster.

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report graded Lewis as the 38th best cornerback in the class and thinks he can make a roster as a reserve, or at the very least make a team’s practice squad.

"“Lewis played all over the Tulane defensive backfield and may be able to hang his hat on that versatility at the next level. The team that takes him will have to make a positional decision sooner rather than later because he will need some time to build the overall frame to compete with NFL physicality. He’s a consistent player who could become a fifth or sixth defensive back on a roster and, at worst, deserves a crack at a practice squad.” – Miller, Bleacher Report"

Cornerback was one of the positions on the Browns roster that did not much have depth before the draft. But with Lewis and Williams joining Denzel Ward, Terrance Mitchell, T.J. Carrie, and Phillip Gaines, it is now a crowded room.

Not many seventh-round selections play key roles on rosters unless they make their impact on special teams. But if his solid interception production shows ball skills that will translate to the NFL, Lewis may have a decent chance to make the roster.

Next. Browns select OL Drew Forbes at No. 189 overall. dark

The Browns cornerback room was decimated by injuries last season, so having young depth at the position will be beneficial. Lewis may only be a depth pick, but adding depth to one of the weaker positions at the end of the draft with a player who had solid production in college was a smart move by the Browns.

Grade: B

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