Rookie Report: Penei Sewell exceeds expectations at right tackle

Our Max Gerber breaks down the hefty rookie contributions for the Lions in Week 10

While the 16-16 tie in Pittsburgh wasn’t very thrilling, the rookies of the Detroit Lions did find ways to impress.

Not only did four rookies crack the starting lineup, but players from the 2021 class played a collective 388 snaps throughout the game.

Here’s how each of those 10 rookies performed:

First-round pick Penei Sewell’s first game at right tackle went off without a hitch. Many believed that the rookie would struggle due to inexperience at the right side of the line, but the former Oregon Duck silenced all doubts. Against a top-10 pass rush, Sewell allowed no sacks on Jared Goff and did not commit a single penalty. It’s no coincidence either that the Lions run game was the most successful that it has been all season.

Rookie defensive linemen Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill both played rotational roles on defense but made the most of their opportunities. The two combined for six tackles and McNeill has able to get his hand up to deflect one of Mason Rudolph’s passes.

With Goff’s performance at quarterback nowhere close to ideal, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown made the most out of a bad situation. The rookie lead the team in receiving yards with 61 and tied with Khalid Raymond for the most receptions, catching four out of his six targets.

Still unable to crack the starting lineup, linebacker Derrick Barnes showed he may need more time to develop before earning a bigger role on defense. Barnes took just 15 defensive snaps and came away with three tackles and a pass defense, but also failed to create any pressure on his two blitzes and whiffed badly on one tackle attempt.

Running back Jermar Jefferson was prepared to have quite the day before an ankle injury brought everything to a grinding halt. The rookie out of Oregon State had just three snaps on offense, of which he carried the ball three times for 41 yards. The injury, which caused him to get carted off the field, came right after he found the endzone on a 28-yard run. With the efficiency that he has shown on offense so far this year, let’s hope he can recover from his injury and return to the backfield quickly.

Undrafted rookie Brock Wright found himself with a much bigger role on offense after the release of Darren Fells last week. While he wasn’t much of a contributor to the box score, Wright’s run blocking helped pave the way for several big runs against Pittsburgh.

In the defensive secondary, three undrafted rookies saw their fair share of action. AJ Parker spent a strong majority of the game as the Lions’ starting nickel cornerback but had a rough time against Pittsburgh’s receiving corps. Parker allowed five of seven passes against him to be completed for 38 yards an a touchdown. To make matters worse, he missed two tackles.

Jerry Jacobs has been serviceable as a starting outside cornerback and played fairly well until an injury sidelined him late in the game. Jacobs was able to breakup two passes and only allow one reception for a gain of 20 yards.

Filling in for Jacobs late in the game was Mark Gilbert, who initially signed with Pittsburgh after going undrafted in April. Gilbert arguably had one of the best defensive plays of the game in which he initially missed a tackle on Diontae Johnson, but rallied back and punched the ball out of his hands to give Detroit possession once again. He also had a pass breakup on a third-down that forced Pittsburgh to punt.

Offensive lineman Ryan McCollum got into the game for four special teams snaps.