The first few months in the NFL for Kapron Lewis-Moore have been a little different compared to most rookies.
The sixth-round draft pick has spent more time in the training room than on the practice field, as he's working his way back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) he suffered playing in the National Championship game in January.
"I can't physically do anything football wise, so it's a lot of watching," Lewis-Moore said as the Ravens wrapped up rookie football school. "Right now my focus is just rehabbing the heck out of my knee every day, so I have to take care of that first and foremost."
He's currently able to do straight-line running, but isn't able to cut and plant yet.
Recovery time for a torn ACL is considered 7-12 months, meaning that Lewis-Moore could return in September if he's on the early end of the spectrum. But the Ravens have plenty of depth along the defensive line, so that has allowed Lewis-Moore to be patient in his recovery and keep from rushing back to action.
A likely option is for him to start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, which would sideline him for at least the first six weeks of the season. After that six-week window, he could return to practice and the Ravens would then have an option to move him to the active roster or place him on injured reserve.
"They aren't rushing me to get back, so that's awesome," he said. "I would love to play this year, but obviously it's all in the trainers' hands and there's nothing I can really do about that. The only thing I can do is just rehab my knee, and try to get back to 100 percent as soon as possible."
Lewis-Moore was a highly productive, three-year starter in his career at Notre Dame. The 6-foot-4, 300 pound lineman is a run stuffer and also has pass-rush ability, finishing last season with 40 tackles and six sacks.
He attracted the attention of NFL scouts going into last season, but the knee injury slid him down teams' boards because he might not even see the field this year. The injury didn't scare off the Ravens, who liked the potential they saw in Lewis-Moore.
While his teammates are getting prepared for the grind of training camp in July, the next few months will mostly be a learning opportunity for Lewis-Moore. He's focused on taking in as much information as possible to make an impact whenever he does get back on the field.
"I'm learning from the veterans and just seeing how things are run around here," he said. "I'm just happy and blessed to be part of this organization. I'm just doing everything I can to get my knee right and take in as much knowledge as possible."
