Picture this: a screen pass is thrown out wide in the flats to a receiver, who suddenly has all the space in the world to go make a play and secure a huge gain. The safety, who is eventually the one to make the play, has to come out from 10+ yards of depth to make the tackle, which allows a good gain to be made by the wide receiver before he is brought down. In order to stop this from happening and minimize the yards gained, you need your safety to recognize the play before the ball is thrown, make a break on the ball immediately, have the closing speed to get there and fill the gap, and be able to consistently make the tackle once he gets there. Stopping a screen is the ultimate test of so many of a safety’s skills, and Jaden Lewis passes with flying colors.
Coverage
Despite the full set of tools in his toolbox which would allow for him to play as a box safety, he probably projects as a free safety in college just because of his size (he’s 5’11”, but only listed at 163 pounds), and he will excel in that position largely because of his cover ability. He simply does not get beat in coverage, especially when he has a deep zone to defend. Lewis is a multi-sport athlete who also used to play center field in baseball, and the skills of that position and of free safety will often coincide – he can certainly track the ball in mid air the way a center fielder can. He is fast enough to keep up with anyone and to close on a ball quickly enough to make plenty of plays the opposing offense wouldn’t expect someone to make, which leads to plenty of pass breakups. He also shows off a strong football IQ and as well as a propensity to study film to understand who he is defending. When he is covering a faster wide receiver, he is a lot more cautious in coverage, making sure he stays in front of the guy and giving the receiver extra space to ensure he doesn’t get beat over the top. When he has a speed advantage over a receiver, however, he gets much more aggressive at the point of attack, which frees him up for a lot more playmaking opportunities. His coverage is the elite trait that will get him on the field, but it’s the complete package he possesses that will keep him there no matter what the coaches ask of him.
Play Recognition and Speed
Jaden has the ability to instinctively understand what is happening in the play and what he needs to do given his assignment in a way that few other safeties do at his level. He combines that with great acceleration which allows him to complete his assignment quickly and effectively. If he is covering a deep third and needs to run with a receiver to prevent a reception, he finds the receiver he is supposed to defend and sticks to him like glue. If he is in the box with a responsibility in the run game, he plugs that hole and pursues the ball carrier like you would expect a linebacker to. And of course, if there is a screen pass to the man he is responsible for, he will come screaming from 10 yards back in order to make the play.
Then, there’s his speed. He’s an athlete who used to run in track, it doesn’t exactly come as a shock that he’s fast. There’s a lot of grass to cover for a free safety, and Lewis is a guy you can trust to be able to cover all of it. Whether that means crossing half the field to break up a pass that would be a touchdown, or coming downhill to meet a receiver at the catch point at the line of scrimmage, you know Jaden Lewis will be there no matter what.
Tackling
You see a 163 pound defensive back and all of the raving of his cover ability in the world is almost expected. He’s undersized – he better be really fast, but it’s the tackling that will be the chief concern. This is where some of his off field traits come into play. Jaden Lewis is a smart, hard working football player – his 3.1 GPA shows that – and it presents itself in his year over year improvement in tackling ability. Despite being undersized, he brings a level of violence not commonly seen at the position. The NFL player he aspires to be is Tyrann Mathieu, a name not thrown around lightly around these parts, and he knows exactly what a goal like that entails. The inspiration is clear when you watch Lewis play, and that being the style of play he wants to aim for speaks so much to what he can be as he continues to improve all around as a player.
He doesn’t care that he’s 163 pounds – he will bring the boom at the tackle point that you would expect from a guy 20-30 pounds heavier than him. I’ve seen him throw a guy down like a rag doll before, which you would think would be impossible at his size. This is so important for a player like Lewis because you know from his background that it isn’t his natural strength at the position. You don’t tackle anyone in baseball or track, and he’s probably smaller than most of the players he is trying to bring down. The fact that he’s so willing to improve in an area of perceived weakness is absolutely huge for him as a player, and he brings a level of thump you only dream of coming from a defensive back.
He’s not just a “big hit” merchant either, he also brings some good fundamentals to the table. You can’t reasonably ask your free safety to be a linebacker-level sure tackler (although I think Lewis has shown flashes of that). Instead, you’re asking them to put effort into learning and improving at the process of tackling, and Lewis has that in spades. He also takes great pursuit angles in order to get to the ball carrier as efficiently as he can. Being able to tackle consistently is the final piece of that screen pass example. You can have a player recognize the screen and get there as quickly as possible, but if he doesn’t finish the play and bring down the receiver, none of that matters. You don’t have those worries with Lewis – when he gets to the receiver, that guy is going down, and he will only get better at this with time.
This is what you get with Jaden Lewis. He’s a free safety with great cover abilities and speed who can tackle at a level you wouldn’t expect him to, who is seeking to get better every day. The next time your defensive coordinator is pulling his hair out because the wide receiver just caught a screen and effortlessly gained 9 yards, or broke a tackle and got 50 yards out of it, you know who to call.
You can find his twitter and his highlights here.
What got you into football in the first place? What makes you love it?
I grew up playing as a kid. I used to play multiple sports – baseball, football, track, but football is what I came on top with.
In playing baseball, what position did you play? Did you take anything away from playing that position to translate to playing football now?
I play center field. My speed translates from playing centerfield to playing football.
What is your biggest strength on the field?
Probably pass coverage. I’m good at zone, which helps me gain chemistry with my teammates and help us play better defense.
Which NFL player do you try to emulate the most with your own game?
Tyrann Mathieu. He’s also a small guy, and I like the way he plays and how aggressive he is, the way he comes down and makes a tackle.
What has been your biggest improvement to your game over the last few years?
I think it is probably my tackling. I’ve been working on my tackling more. Working at my position, you have to be reliable tackling and making tackles.
What has the recruiting process been like for you?
It’s been slow recently. Still trying to go to camps and talking to coaches. Hopefully after this season, I can show what I’m capable of and the offers can start coming in.
What are some goals for yourself this year?
Enjoying my last year in high school and with my friends.
What do you do outside of practice to improve?
I try to do a lot of footwork drills at home and watch other players’ highlights as film. I do a lot of ladder and backpedaling drills in order to get quicker feet.
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