Not nearly enough things went well enough for the Detroit Lions in 2021, but the team nailed the first-round draft pick. Penei Sewell thrived as a rookie in Detroit despite changing positions midseason. Sewell’s impressive NFL debut lands the right tackle at No. 66 overall in Pro Football Focus’ top 101 players of the 2021 season.
Sewell is the only Lions player on the list. He earned an overall grade of 82.4 for the season, with five of his top seven games coming after Sewell transitioned from left tackle to his more natural RT spot.
The offseason debate was whether the Bengals should draft Ja’Marr Chase or Penei Sewell with their first-round pick, and as good as Chase was in his debut season, Sewell was also very impressive. Asked to play both left and right tackle during the season, Sewell earned an 84.5 run-blocking grade and surrendered 35 pressures in total. He had some poor games but offset them with dominant ones at a position that typically takes time to adjust to in the NFL.
Since PFF referenced Chase in their Sewell commentary, the Bengals wideout ranked 26th and captured NFL offensive rookie of the year honors.