Inside the Article:
Offensive tackle Penei Sewell came into the National Football League already highly regarded, having won the Outland and Morris trophies in 2019 while playing collegiately at Oregon. He would join the Detroit Lions, who made him their 1st round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft (7th overall).
Penei Sewell's dedication was on display during his pre-draft interview
His dedication to his craft was on display in a recently released portion of a pre-draft interview with OL Coach Hank Fraley.
“What is your expectation going into this year?” Fraley asked.
“To start right away, try to get a feel for my teammates, and again, not to rush anything but to kind of let things play into place,” Sewell responded. “But at the end of the day when I cross that line, make my presence known and felt that I'm here to contribute to whatever the team needs and wants, and to be successful with the team.”
Wrapping It Up – The Lions were set on Sewell
It was Lions GM Brad Holmes, who had his eyes set on Sewell for some time, who would explain why the team jumped at the chance to take him with their pick.
“We just couldn't be any more excited than we are about Penei. Going through the process, we truly, we got to a point where we pretty much identified three players and he was one of those three that we would just be extremely, let's just say through the roof about,” Holmes said after the draft. “To be able to land him, he's going to be an integral and impactful piece to our franchise going forward for years to come. He's going to be a great addition to our offensive line.
“He's just a transcendent talent,” Holmes continued. “I can't quite remember a guy that had feet like him in a long time, but it's not just the athletic ability. He's got the toughness, he's got the grit, he's got the strength. He's got the intangibles that we're looking for.”
