When the Detroit Lions landed OT Penei Sewell in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Lions War Room was very excited and so were most of the fans who realize that a great offensive line can go a very long way.
During his rookie season, Sewell did not disappoint at all as he did everything the Lions asked him to do, including starting the year at left tackle (to fill in for the injured Taylor Decker) and then moving to the right side when Decker was ready to roll.
Detroit Lions OT Penei Sewell is ready to break out
During a recent article, Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic put together a list of second-year players who are poised to make the cut and Penei Sewell made the cut.
From The Athletic:
Penei Sewell, OT, Lions: This (like Lawrence) might be cheating, as Sewell was one of the top prospects in the 2021 draft. But he played on a bad Detroit team last season and began the year at left tackle before shifting back over to the right side (where he played last spring). When all the dust settled on the back-and-forth with Sewell, though, he quietly put together a very good rookie season — and proved to be one of the better run-blocking tackles in the NFL by season’s end.
With Taylor Decker back healthy opposite him, Sewell has settled in at right tackle this year. The former Oregon standout spent a lot of time in the weight room this offseason, dropping bad weight and replacing it with more muscle. Physically, Sewell looks more like he did during his final year at Oregon in 2019 (he opted out in 2020). He could have a monster sophomore season for Detroit.
Nation, what are your expectations for Penei Sewell in 2022? Do you think he is on his way to a Pro Bowl career?