The Detroit Lions drafted a winner in offensive tackle Penei Sewell, and the key lineman continues to show what a genius addition he was last offseason and what a key building block for the future he is as the offseason accolades begin to roll in.
Not only has Sewell been identified as a top rookie in recent month by sites such as Pro Football Focus, but he’s also a player who makes the cut as the best of the best in term of his peers across the entire NFL as a whole. Following the 2021 season, that has been officially revealed as the case.
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Sewell managed to crack the PFF list as one of the best players of the 2021-22 season, and he placed in the 66th position across the entire league. Writer Sam Monson put together the write ups on the list, and when it came to Sewell, he admitted that the offensive tackle had dominant performances to offset some of his frustrating ones that came along last year as he adjusted to a tough position in the league.
For the Lions, the development of Sewell was a big story and a big deal. The hope for the team is that Sewell can continue to develop positively and stay on track as an elite player up front for the team’s front.
With this honor, it’s obvious people see that as being the case for him when all is said and done.
Future of Lions’ Offensive Line Bright
It isn’t just Sewell which shows how good the future of the team is up front. At the opposite tackle spot, the Lions have one of the better young tackles in the game in Taylor Decker, who came into his own during the 2020 season and was extended for his play. At guard, Jonah Jackson is coming off a Pro Bowl appearance in 2022 for his work on the field during the 2021-22 season. Frank Ragnow will be back in the fold at center and figures to be completely healthy after a foot injury which held him out after midseason. On the other side, Halapoulivaati Vaitai will look to build on a great bounce-back season in 2021 at guard, and Sewell looks to continue his development from his freshman year on the field with the team.
As the Lions saw in the Super Bowl, there is no substitute for a solid offensive line. The Cincinnati Bengals struggled to protect Joe Burrow all night long, and arguably lost the game because of it. As Detroit pushes through their rebuild, the team should at least feel good knowing that they are setting up their offense for success in the future.
Recapping Sewell’s Outstanding Rookie Season
To say that the 2021-22 season was a strong start for Sewell is more than a bit of an understatement. The offensive tackle excelled no matter where he was playing, and managed to catch the eye of sites like Pro Football Focus multiple times. Sewell was one of the top-graded tackles in the league as a rookie, and routinely opened eyes for his ability to keep whomever was playing quarterback for the Lions upright as well as helping the running game succeed. Sewell did not crack the Pro Bowl for his rookie work, but the fact he was stable on the field should be enough of a plus for the Lions moving forward. As a whole, Sewell started 16 total games for the Lions and was a mainstay up front for the team. Perhaps the signature moment for Sewell is when he refused to back down from Aaron Donald in a game:
The Lions should be happy with what Sewell accomplished and also love the fact that the rookie is receiving some major accolade for his work on the field. It’s a pretty massive honor to be placed on this list after just one season in the league.
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