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As the Detroit Lions look to remain dominant in the NFC North like they did last season, one unit that will stand out should be their offensive line, led by tackle Penei Sewell, who some consider a top player at his position. While Pro Football Focus ranked Lions quarterback Jared Goff right after the tier of a high-end starter, they would also put Sewell outside the top five in regards to offensive tackles.
Sewell would be at No. 6 in the Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranking, as they would explain the reasoning for the placement, since there could have been an expectation that some fans would vehemently disagree. They would point out that while his ability as a run blocker is top-notch, the pass protection was subpar.
“Arguably the best run-blocking offensive tackle in the league, Sewell would have ranked higher on this list had he performed better as a pass blocker in 2024,” Zoltán Buday of PFF wrote.
“He has earned a 95.7 PFF run-blocking grade over the past two seasons, which leads all offensive tackles,” Buday continued. “However, he placed only 29th at the position with a 75.4 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2024 after allowing pressure on 4.7% of pass plays (23rd).”
With the Lions preparing in the offseason for a strong 2025 campaign since the team has championship aspirations, Sewell will no doubt be the anchor of the offensive line that has overall produced through the air and on the ground. Specifically looking at Sewell, he would express that a goal for him is to keep getting “bigger and stronger,” according to the team’s website.
“I just wanted to get bigger and stronger while maintaining my speed and conditioning,” Sewell said.
“Always trying to up the weight,” Sewell continued about his process this current offseason. “Obviously, you have to be smart with it. There’s also some risk going into lifting those types of weights. But I just leaned on the guys here, the strength staff, they do a great job. It’s just moving the heavy weights fast.”
Sewell was taken with the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, where he has improved each season, becoming one of the top stars in his position. However, PFF feels that his blocking in the passing game needs to improve, which could be seen this upcoming season as Detroit opens Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Sept. 7.
The Lions will look to build off last season, where they had a 15-2 record and won the division, but were eliminated by the Washington Commanders in the divisional round.
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