Most of the attention surrounding the Ravens' offensive line through the first three weeks of training camp has centered on rookie left tackle Ronnie Stanley.
It makes sense since Stanley was the team's No. 1 draft pick and is expected to start protecting the blind side and surgically-repaired left knee of quarterback Joe Flacco.
Except for when he briefly took over the position after Stanley exited the team's second public workout at M&T Stadium earlier this month, fellow rookie Alex Lewis has gone largely unnoticed.
Which, as any offensive lineman will tell you, isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Lewis, a second-team All-Big Ten player at Nebraska last season and one of the team's four fourth-round draft picks, has had a solid camp while playing both left guard and tackle.
"When you go back and forth, it's hard to always be consistent, and that's one thing you're focusing on – consistency," Lewis said after practice Wednesday in Owings Mills.
"You've got to be able to know two different positions, which is two different techniques on setting. It's always going back to the fundamentals, focusing on the fundamentals no matter what position you're at."
Asked which position he prefers, Lewis smiled.
"The one that gets me on the field," he said with a laugh.
After playing mostly at tackle with the Cornhuskers, Lewis is also being counted on to back up John Urschel at guard. Urschel has been out with a contusion the past few days of practice, so Lewis has lined up with the No. 1 offense.
Offensive line coach Juan Castillo can foresee the day when that might be Lewis' regular position. Castillo said he wouldn't be surprised if Lewis winds up starting at either guard or tackle.
"I will tell you this: Alex Lewis is going to be a starter in the NFL," Castillo said early in training camp.
Castillo said Lewis is still making the adjustment from college to the NFL, and from playing exclusively at tackle to playing both positions on the line.
"The thing for him is just [that] he is a young kid," Castillo said. "Moving inside [to guard] is a tough situation for him, so all we want to do is get him back outside a little bit, so he can feel comfortable with what he has been used to doing and get his confidence at something he is really good at."
Said Lewis, "I'm playing a lot more guard in the NFL, I'm getting more comfortable with it each day. I played a lot of tackle in college. I haven't played much tackle in the NFL. Right now, I'm working with the guard position and I'm enjoying it."
Lewis, whose father Bill played seven years in the NFL as a center for three teams, said getting to play both positions will help his long-term development.