TL;DR
The NFL just announced a brand-new end-of-season award honoring the league’s best offensive lineman: the Protector of the Year. It’s a long-overdue recognition for the unsung heroes of the trenches—and it’s tailor-made for Detroit Lions right tackle Penei Sewell, who seems poised to dominate this category for years to come.
The Award, Explained
Unveiled by NFL vice president Troy Vincent, the Protector of the Year Award will be decided by a panel that includes former NFL offensive linemen. The criteria? Overall dominance, consistency, technique, and impact.
The award fills a glaring hole: for years, elite linemen were only acknowledged with All-Pro honors or Pro Bowl nods. Now, there’s a definitive, singular award recognizing the best of the best.
Credit goes to tackles Dion Dawkins and Andrew Whitworth for pushing the NFL to create the honor.
About Time
Previously, the league had a “Built Ford Tough Offensive Line of the Year” award—but that was disbanded in 2018. Since then, offensive line play has gone undervalued in official recognition, despite being crucial to team success.
The new award changes that. And it’s about to become very familiar territory for one very special Lion.
Why This Was Built for Penei Sewell
Let’s not overthink it: Penei Sewell was born to win this award.
- He’s the best right tackle in football. Period.
- He’s been graded elite by Pro Football Focus.
- He neutralizes edge rushers, demolishes in the run game, and rarely draws penalties.
- And he just helped lead the Lions to back-to-back NFC North titles.
Sewell is still very young already plays with the poise and ferocity of a decade-long veteran. He’s also the emotional heartbeat of Detroit’s offensive line, often the first guy celebrating a pancake block—and the first guy defending his quarterback.
A Lions Legacy in the Making
Detroit has a long history of offensive line excellence, from Lomas Brown to Jeff Backus to Frank Ragnow. But Penei Sewell might just surpass them all.
This award gives him a national platform to prove what Lions fans have known for years:
He’s not just great—he’s generational.
In fact, if the league had introduced this trophy a few years earlier, Sewell probably already has one (or two) on his mantle.
Key Takeaways
- The NFL has announced a new Protector of the Year Award for the best offensive lineman.
- The award is voted on by a panel of former linemen.
- It replaces the defunct “Built Ford Tough OL of the Year” award.
- Penei Sewell is the favorite not just in 2025—but for years to come.
- Detroit fans should expect to hear Sewell’s name called at NFL Honors night… a lot.
Bottom Line
The NFL just created a brand-new award—and Penei Sewell already looks like the frontrunner. If you’re building a Mount Rushmore of trench warriors, start carving his name in granite. “Protector of the Year” might as well be renamed the Penei Sewell Trophy.
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