When the Detroit Lions selected Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, they set the bar quite high for the rookie. Sewell became an instant starter at right tackle from the moment he joined the team.
There is no doubt Sewell has a chance to be a great NFL tackle. The power, the strength, the attitude, the drive to succeed are all present in abundance. But it might not be an instant success story.
To help gauge reasonable expectations, I went back and looked at some comparable tackles from recent draft classes. Not every first-round tackle is a great comparison, so the focus is on younger tackles, more power-based players and those who switched sides from college to the NFL.
Two of the players are coming off their rookie seasons. Jedrick Wills of the Browns and Mekhi Becton of the Jets were both high first-round picks who started right away as 2020 rookies.
Jedrick Wills
Wills was Alabama’s right tackle in college but the Browns immediately shifted him to the left side. The No. 10 overall pick started 15 games (he missed one week due to COVID-19 protocols).
PFF Grades
Overall: 61.5
Run blocking: 50.3
Pass blocking: 79.4
Wills allowed three sacks in the first four games at his new spot before locking in and allowing just one more the rest of the season. He did commit 11 penalties and the run blocking cratered — both in PFF grades and real-time observation — in the middle of the season.
Like Sewell, Wills was also unusually young as a prospect. He turned 21 shortly after being drafted. They’re also of similar size at 6-foot-5 with powerful arms and thick legs. Overall Wills performed better than his PFF grade and was a definite upgrade over predecessor Greg Robinson, but he was indeed Cleveland’s worst offensive lineman as a rookie.
Mekhi Becton
The Jets selected the behemoth Becton, all 6-foot-7 and 367 pounds of him, with the No. 11 overall pick. Becton started right away at left tackle and played in 14 games.
PFF grades
Overall: 74.4
Run blocking: 73.9
Pass blocking: 76.0
Becton allowed seven total sacks and was on the hook for seven penalties. While much bigger than Sewell, stylistically they are similar as aggressive, power-oriented blockers. Becton had several highlight-reel run blocks for a Jets offense that didn’t have much in the way of weaponry. If he can improve his lateral agility, Becton should get better in pass protection too. He had major struggles against stand-up EDGE rushers with speed (Von Miller, Myles Garrett) but he’s not alone in that.
Ryan Ramczyk
The No. 32 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints, Ramczyk was Wisconsin’s left tackle. The Saints, featuring now-Lions coach Dan Campbell on the staff, moved him to the right side due to having Terron Armstead at left tackle.
PFF grades
Overall: 81.5
Run blocking: 78.1
Pass blocking: 77.0
His overall PFF grades don’t reflect the wild up-and-down season Ramczyk had as a rookie. For every great game he had, there were ugly pockmarks like the Bears and Dolphins games where he really struggled with the speed and intricacy of the NFL defenses on his new side.
Ramczyk settled in after the impressive but inconsistent rookie season and is now one of the best right tackles in the league.
Jack Conklin
Conklin goes back a few years for his rookie campaign, but he’s the best-case scenario for Sewell as a rookie. Tennessee’s first-round pick in 2016 (No. 8 overall), Conklin moved from left tackle at Michigan State to starting right tackle for the Titans.
It clicked immediately for Conklin in Nashville.
PFF grades
Overall: 80.6
Run blocking: 74.0
Pass blocking: 80.9
Conklin was a first-team All-Pro as a rookie, allowing just two sacks all year and both came in the same game (Week 11 vs. Robert Mathis and the Colts). The Titans helped him with a tight end often, a side benefit of having Pro Bowler Taylor Lewan at left tackle already. It’s a very similar situation to what Sewell steps into in Detroit with Taylor Decker firmly ensconced as one of the NFL’s best left tackles.
Interestingly, Conklin regressed after his splendid debut season – enough that the Titans didn’t even pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. He fled to Cleveland, joining Wills in 2020. Lo and behold Conklin earned All-Pro honors with the Browns at right tackle and had his best season yet.
What does all that mean for Sewell as a Lions rookie?
Expect him to struggle (relatively speaking) in pass protection early on, notably with speed. Detroit can mitigate it by committing tight end help. Also expect the difference in speed and strength of defenders to show up in his run blocking too, though Sewell is a good enough athlete to compensate fairly quickly. If the floor is Jedrick Wills’ performance in Cleveland last year, Lions fans are going to be pretty happy with Sewell right away.
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