Against Maryland last Saturday—despite the steady and sometimes pouring rain—head coach David Cutcliffe continued to throw the ball. Quarterback Thaddeus Lewis produced, connecting on 30-of-43 passes for 371 yards and two touchdowns en route to a 17-13 victory. As Lewis continues to improve during his time at Duke, there is one question that is becoming harder and harder to avoid: Is Thaddeus Lewis a legitimate NFL prospect?
Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen certainly thinks so.
“He’s good, he might be the best guy we’ve seen so far,” Friedgen said after Saturday’s game. “Thaddeus Lewis is definitely an NFL prospect. He’s big, he’s strong and he’s physical. He made some throws under pressure today. I’ve been impressed with him for a long time, and he impressed me again today.”
It was another quality performance for Lewis, and NFL scouts have started to notice. Up in the press box, looking down over the soaked field, personnel from seven NFL teams including the Giants, Jets, Patriots, Cardinals and Seahawks watched the senior in action.
For now, Lewis insists that he is focused on the game at hand. Though he enjoys watching the NFL—he’s a Miami Dolphins fan—the quarterback is not ready to start thinking about a career in the league. Last week, the Blue Devils downed Maryland, and now the mission is to secure a win against Virginia Saturday.
“I dont look around at all that stuff [like NFL mock draft boards],” Lewis said. “I work on what I can focus on, which is practice [today].... I believe that if you take care of everything now, it will all work out.”
That singular focus has earned the Blue Devils a 4-3 record, including two consecutive wins in the ACC for the first time since 1994. Over his last three games, Lewis has now completed 92 of his last 133 passes and has accumulated 1,189 yards for nine touchdowns. Having started since he was a true freshman, Lewis has climbed career stat leaderboards, as well.
The senior is just 293 yards short of becoming the third Blue Devil and seventh ACC quarterback with 9,000 career passing yards.
Though Duke has had some trouble running the ball, the throwing game has flourished. For many onlookers, it comes as no suprise; after all, Cutcliffe famously helped develop both Peyton and Eli Manning at Tennessee and Ole Miss, respectively. But while Cutcliffe has certainly watched Lewis grow this year in the pocket, the quarterback’s improved mobility is just as obvious.
“I think Thad is becoming a better runner,” Cutcliffe said. “You know, that’s an acquired thing for a quarterback, because they don’t run it as much. He’s seeing the field better, making decisions, knowing where the sticks are. A lot of times when he’s running we’re trying to get a first down out of it, whether it’s quarterback draws or whatever the circumstances are. It just makes us better in our offense.”
As Lewis finishes out his college career, professional scouts will keep seeing what Cutcliffe has been talking about all along.
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