CONWAY — Former Central Arkansas standout wide receiver Dezmin Lewis saw his goal of being selected in the NFL Draft realized on Saturday as he was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 7th round with the No. 234 pick, making him the first Central Arkansas player to be drafted since 2011, the 4th in the program's Division-I era since 2007, and 9th in school history.
"I'm thankful I got the call," Lewis told buffalobills.com following his selection. "It's a great feeling. I'm excited to be a Buffalo Bill."
Projected to go as high as the middle rounds, Lewis was forced to wait until the final round before hearing his name called as more than 30 wide receivers went off the board before he was drafted by the Bills.
"A lot of small school guys get overlooked, and even though I was projected to go in the 3rd or 4th round, I had my mind set on the 6th or 7th," he said. "I didn't fall into getting angry or upset that I didn't go early. I'm just thankful for the opportunity to be in Buffalo and excited to come up there and make a name for myself."
A 6-foot-4, 215-lb. receiver who amassed 2,668 yards on 197 receptions (13.5 yards per catch) with 24 touchdowns during his Central Arkansas career, Lewis joins a Bills team that will be in its first season under former Jets head coach Rex Ryan and former 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman. The Bills return three of last season's top five receivers in Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and Chris Hogan. The Bills also added former Vikings, Jets and Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin in the offseason. With the drafting of Lewis – the team's lone wide receiver selection in the draft – the Bills currently have 12 receivers listed on the roster.
"Percy Harvin is one of my favorite wide receivers," Lewis said. "He's very talented, quick and can beat you in any way. Sammy Watkins is one of the best young receivers in the NFL. I watched him a lot at Clemson – he makes plays, attacks the ball and has speed as well. I could really go through the whole receiver corps. They've got a lot of playmakers, I'm thankful to be a part of it now. Nothing's going to be given to you. My mindset is to come in and learn from those guys. I just want to play my role, learn and get ready. If I'm fortunate enough to play my first year, that's amazing. I'm going to come in, work hard and show them I can play."
Lewis was the leading receiver at the Senior Bowl in January, in a game featuring numerous other draftees including Ameer Adbullah of Nebraska, Phillip Dorsett of Miami, Sammie Coates of Auburn and Tyler Lockett of Kansas State among others. At the NFL Combine, he was 10th of 30 wide receivers on the bench press with 16 reps at 225 lbs. before turning in a 4.46 40-yard dash time and 37-inch vertical jump at his Pro Day at Central Arkansas.
"It was great for me," Lewis said of his Senior Bowl experience, playing against and alongside mostly players from FBS programs. "I didn't look at it any different – I knew what I could do. I had confidence in my abilities, I just wanted to go out and show it against top defenders from bigger schools. That was the main thing – they weren't sure if I could do it against bigger school prospects. I just wanted to go out and have fun and do what I did that got me there. And that's what I did, I took advantage of my opportunities."
Lewis becomes the first Central Arkansas player drafted since Markell Carter was selected in the 6th round of the 2011 Draft by the New England Patriots. He is the first wide receiver to be drafted out of Central Arkansas since Tyree Davis, who was taken 176th by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1993 Draft. He joins Larry Hart (5th round, No. 143 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2010), Carter and Jacob Ford (No. 204, 6th round by the Tennessee Titans in 2007) as Central Arkansas draftees since making the move to NCAA Division I in 2006.
"The Bills got better, they picked up a really good football player," said Central Arkansas football head coach Steve Campbell. "They see his height, weight, 40 time, ball skills – and he's got all that, which you have to have to get drafted – but what you can't measure and what they can't really find out until he gets into camp is all the intangible stuff he brings to the table. He's a very smart football player, a tremendously hard worker and a team guy. And at any level from pee wee to the NFL, you want guys that are winners, and he's a winner."
One of 17 Division I FCS players to be selected in the 2015 Draft, Lewis was the only receiver taken by the Bills, who had six picks in all. Buffalo also selected three players from Florida State, including cornerback Ronald Darby, running back Karlos Williams and tight end Nick O'Leary. Other Bills draft picks were Louisville guard John Miller and Clemson linebacker Tony Steward.
The Bills open their season on Sept. 13 at home against the Indianapolis Colts. Central Arkansas kicks off its 2015 season on Sept. 3 at Samford before a trip to Oklahoma State on Sept. 12.
