Dallas Cowboys rookie Jourdan Lewis found not guilty
Dallas Cowboys rookie cornerback Jourdan Lewis has been found not guilty on domestic violence, assault and battery charges stemming from an incident in March.
While all the other Dallas Cowboys rookies took part in their first two practice sessions of training camp this week, 2017 third round selection Jourdan Lewis spent Tuesday in a courtroom. On trial for an alleged domestic violence incident which occurred back in March, the 21-year old was accused of grabbing his girlfriend by the neck and dragging her across a floor.
Although Lewis claimed he was completely innocent of the charges, his looming legal issues undoubtedly hurt his draft status in April. Possibly costing the talented Michigan corner millions in potential income.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Lewis was elated to hear that the jury had found him not guilty on both counts of misdemeanor domestic violence and assault and battery. The news was first reported by the Dallas Morning News’ Mike Persak.
Presumably, Lewis will now head to training camp to join his Cowboy teammates. The 5-foot-10, 195 pound rookie corner is best suited to play in the slot in Dallas. But with veteran cornerback Orlando Scandrick likely a lock to start at that position, Lewis could be also be an option to play on the outside.
During his final two seasons at Michigan, Lewis recorded a whopping 29 pass deflections along with a combined 55 tackles, four interceptions and one defensive touchdown.
Dez Bryant yesterday: "I love Jourdan Lewis. I think he's gonna be an outstanding corner in the future. That man has got some game to him."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 25, 2017
The Cowboys defensive secondary took some major hits this offseason, losing three starters in their secondary to free agency. Those voids have opened up rare opportunities for rookies like Lewis, fellow defensive backs Chidobe Awuize, Marquez White and Xavier Woods to compete for starting roles on this Dallas defense.
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Jourdan Lewis will compete with his peers and veteran corners like Scandrick, free agent signee Nolan Carroll, Leon McFadden and second-year phenom Anthony Brown in the coming weeks. And he could come out on top as some believe the former Wolverine is the most talented rookie in this year’s Cowboys draft class. And Lewis, who was selected 92nd overall, could even end up being the biggest steal of the 2017 NFL Draft.