When Lions head coach Dan Campbell and General Manager Brad Holmes were hired in 2021, they made offensive tackle Penei Sewell their first draft pick, No. 7 overall. Campbell says that pick was key to everything the Lions are building.
Campbell said today that Sewell, who was a Pro Bowler last year, looks better than ever at training camp.
“I can’t say enough great things about Sewell,” Campbell said. “There’s a reason he was the first pick we had two years ago because we wanted to build around a guy like him. He’s our foundation. He’s one of those pillars that we talk about. He’s something else. He’s a man on a mission. I feel like we’re a team on a mission, but he is a man on a mission. You talk about being wired right, a guy that comes in every day, puts in the work, and he’s got so much ability but he’s got the right attitude, too, and I think that’s what makes him dangerous if you’re the opponent. So he’s right where he needs to be. If he loses it bothers him bad, and that’s what you want. You want a guy who believes that there’s no way he should lose any rep no matter who he’s playing. He’s shown up, he’s in shape, he’s lean, he’s mean and I’m glad he’s ours.”
Heading into Year 3, Sewell is just 22 years old and appears to have a very bright future ahead of him as one of the NFL’s top offensive linemen, and one of the keys to the Lions building a winner.
