Marcedes Lewis

Won the 2005 Mackey Award, given to the top tight end in the major college ranks. Lewis has excellent size and quickness for the position. The former basketball player emerged as a clutch pass catcher during his senior year, demonstrating the ability to turn a short catch into a big gainer. Lewis was regarded as the best prep player in the West and the premier tight end in the nation coming out of Long Beach Poly High School. He was also heavily recruited in basketball, where he ranked among California's top high school rebounders. On the football field, he played quarterback as a prep freshman and moved to tight end with the varsity team his last three seasons. Lewis earned Parade All-American, Super Prep Elite 50 (No. 4), Super Prep All-American, Prep Star Dream Team (rated the best tight end in the nation) honors and was a member of Student Sports Hot 100 (No. 30) list. The first-team All-CIF Southern Section choice was also the CIF-Southern Section Division I co-Offensive Player of the Year. He caught 44 passes for 710 yards and 11 touchdowns for the CIF Division I champions, and recorded seven sacks as a defensive end as a senior. Lewis had 22 receptions for 313 yards and four touchdowns as a junior. On the basketball court, he earned three varsity letters as a power forward. As a senior, he was named second-team All-CIF and was selected to the Long Beach Press-Telegram "Dream Team." He was also a member of the Press-Telegram basketball "Dream Team" as a junior, averaging over 19 points and 11 rebounds per game that season. Lewis played in twelve games as a reserve for UCLA in 2002, catching six passes for 51 yards and a score. He followed that with a breakout season in 2003, ranking second on the team with 30 receptions for 377 yards and three touchdowns. He continued to excel as a junior, hauling in 32 passes for 402 yards (12.7 avg) and seven scores. The unanimous All-American and All-Pac 10 Conference choice was the only finalist for the 2004 John Mackey Award (nation's top tight end) returning to college for the 2005 season. He led the team and ranked second in the nation among tight ends with an average of 4.83 catches per game. He had 54 receptions for 741 yards (12.8 avg) and ten touchdowns in his final campaign. His 58 catches rank tied for second on the school's single-season record list and his ten touchdown receptions rank third. In 49 games with the Bruins, Lewis started 32 times. He ranks ninth on the school's overall career-record list and first among tight ends with 126 receptions, holding the UCLA tight end all-time records with 1,571 yards receiving and 21 touchdowns. He also recorded five tackles (4 solos).

lewis possesses great size and speed for the tight end position and has the potential to develop into a dominating player, but needs to work on his flexibility, as he tends to look too mechanical running routes. he has the ability to line up as a wide receiver to take advantage of his height and is a big target on underneath routes. he is still a work in progress, as he originally came to ucla for basketball before concentrating on football, but made great strides as a pass catcher during the 2005 season.

Lewis knows how to use his excellent height and leaping ability to track the ball in flight and make every effort to get to the pass at its high point. He runs with a normal stride and builds quickly to top speed, but needs to show more urgency getting into his patterns. In 2005, Lewis was much more effective at using his hands to defeat the press and escape the jam. He also showed much better concentration when extending to pluck the ball away from the body's frame.

lewis can generate the acceleration needed to get down the seam, but is not really fluid on the move. for a player of his size, he spends too much time trying to elude the defender after the catch rather than square his shoulders and drive through arm tackles. he is more of a pass catcher with good awareness of the sticks.

Even if he develops more strength, he needs to play at a better pad level in order to generate leg drive to break arm tackles. A productive senior season as a pass catcher has allowed him to hide his liabilities as a blocker, but I am very cautious at being convinced he has enough instincts, strength and flexibility to rate being a first-round draft pick.

he needs to add some more strength though, as he sometimes will fight to get a release, but makes a good effort going after the ball on the sidelines. he is not a physical blocker who consistently explodes into his hits when working in-line. lewis is just too inconsistent in attempts to take proper angles in order to gain position on the defender, especially when asked to use his speed and size to stalk and neutralize linebackers at the second level.

Despite having good success catching the ball the last two years, Lewis will still round his cuts and gather before breaking, making him look choppy bringing his feet in attempts to get into his routes. He does provide good value as a big target underneath, but needs to do a better job of adjusting his body to get to the off-target throws. He doesn't lack courage, but you have to question his desire to get to the ball in a crowd, as he tends to shy away from contact whenever he can.

lewis is best when asked to flex out and get open in the deep passing game. his initial quickness and sustained speed, along with a normal stride, allows him to beat the defenders on outs, curls and crossing patterns. lewis has made good improvement concentrating on the ball, but is still prone to dropping some easy tosses due to mental lapses. he is just not instinctive running his routes yet, but he has the speed to compensate.

Lewis' lack of blocking ability is largely due to marginal strength and a lack of physicality when engaging. He will make an effort, but is not explosive on initial contact and struggles quite a bit to control and finish when working in-line. He is marginal at stalking linebackers in the second level and needs to do a better job of taking proper angles working in space.

negatives

While he is making steady progress understanding zone concepts, he still lacks the instincts and feel for blocking schemes...Marginal blocker who needs to show more toughness and aggression when facing up...Takes poor angles trying to attack linebackers in the second level, lacking the strength to be even an adequate mauler...For a player of his size, he does not attack defenders, square his shoulders and drive through arm tackles, preferring to elude after the catch...Has a decent work ethic, but little regard for classroom work...Big target over the middle, but lacks the loose hips to readily adjust and separate after the catch (looks too mechanical)...Does not display the body control or fluidity to run crisp routes (rounds cuts and gathers too often).

positives

Has excellent size, height and adequate quickness for the position, showing the long arms and leaping ability to get to the pass at its high point...Builds to top speed quickly and uses his hands effectively to escape press coverage...Provides the quarterback with a big target underneath when he runs at a proper pad level...Gets into his route quickly and has the speed to get down the seam and catch the ball easily over his shoulders...Has a team-first attitude and really dedicated himself to improving as a pass catcher in 2005...He does a much better job of extending and plucking the ball away from the body's frame than he did in the past...Maintains relationship with the ball in flight and has the cut-back ability to get to the poorly thrown ball...Became more assertive as a route runner as a senior, but still needs to show better open field cutting ability.

2004: Sat out the second half of the Washington State game (121/06) and saw limited action the following week vs. Oregon due to a bruised tailbone.

Campus: 4.79 seconds in the 40-yard dash

345-pound bench press

440-pound squat

34.5-inch vertical jump

32 ½-inch arm length

9 7/8-inch hands.

Attended Poly (Long Beach, Cal.) High School

Regarded as the best prep player in the West and the premier tight end in the nation

Was also heavily recruited in basketball and ranked among California's top high school rebounders

On the football field, he played quarterback as a prep freshman and moved to tight end with the varsity team his last three seasons

Earned Parade All-American, Super Prep Elite 50 (No. 4), Super Prep All-American, Prep Star Dream Team (rated the best tight end in the nation) honors and was a member of Student Sports Hot 100 (No. 30) list

First-team All-CIF Southern Section choice and CIF-Southern Section Division I co-Offensive Player of the Year

Caught 44 passes for 710 yards and 11 touchdowns for the CIF Division I champions, and recorded seven sacks as a defensive end his senior season

Had 22 receptions for 313 yards and four touchdowns as a junior

On the basketball court, he earned three varsity letters as a power forward

As a senior, he was named second-team All-CIF and to the Long Beach Press-Telegram "Dream Team."

Also a member of the Press-Telegram basketball "Dream Team" as a junior, averaging over 19 points and 11 rebounds per game.

Sociology major

One of four children (brothers, Ashley and Cody, and sister, Nikia) of Yvonne and Michael Withers

Born Marcedes Alexis Lewis on 5/19/84 in Los Alamitos, California

Resides in Long Beach, California.