The veteran safety has kept a low profile since signing with the Ravens in March, but he’s still caught the eye of the coaching staff.
“Kendrick Lewis is doing a great job,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said. “He doesn’t say much in terms of walking around the building. He just puts his nose to the grindstone and goes to work. I see him in the weight room. I see him in the meeting room. I see him on the field just working like crazy.”
Lewis’ work is paying early dividends, as he’s consistently running with the first-team defense during Organized Team Activities (OTAs). The seven-year veteran is expected to help solidify the secondary as a safety with playmaking ability, and he isn’t taking long to adjust.
“I feel confident,” Lewis said. “I feel like I have to learn the defense, I have to learn my way around the organization, learn how the guys play, and on top of that, build the camaraderie with my teammates. It’s important for us just getting to know each other on and off the field.”
An area where Lewis has focused his attention is on communication. Safeties have to be able to read offenses and make the calls to the rest of the secondary, and he’s already making a difference in that area.
“You have to be vocal,” Lewis said. “You have to check in and out of coverages. You have to get guys lined up who may be crossed on a different formation. Being vocal is part of my game. It’s the part of the game that I’ve brought here with me.”
“[He’s a] very smart player,” Harbaugh added. “He just gets the game and communicates really well back there. He’s looked very good.”
Lewis, 26, is accustomed to going through offseason changes. The Ravens are his third team in as many years, as he spent the first four seasons with the Chiefs and last year with the Texans. He signed a three-year contract with the Ravens this year and hopes to stay in Baltimore for the long haul.
Lewis has been a quality starter throughout his career, and last year he finished the season with 52 tackles, two interceptions, six passes defensed, three forced fumbles and a touchdown. He’s already penciled into the starting lineup based on formations during OTAs, and he’s getting plenty of reps alongside
“We have a very, very bright secondary,” Lewis said. “We just have to keep working with each other, keep getting acclimated with how each other plays. I believe that the sky is the limit for the secondary. We have a bunch of talent in the secondary. We have a bunch of guys that can run, cover and hit. It will be fun to be part of it.”
