Lions Called Bengals and Dolphins About Trading Up for Sewell
No question, offensive lineman Penei Sewell was coveted by the Detroit Lions' front office.
"We identified him early in the process," Lions head coach Dan Campbell explained at Sewell's introductory press conference. "Ultimately, Brad and I wanted to walk the talk. We said what kind of players we were looking for and what we wanted to build this team around, what we were looking for from a cultural standpoint. This young man meets all of that criteria. It’s not every day you can find an athlete that is his size and has his temperament. Alright, this is a tough dude that knows how to play nasty, and he can protect the quarterback. That’s what you’re looking for when you’re trying to build a foundation on the O-line. He’s going to fit like a glove."
No question, the pre-draft evaluation process indicated to the Lions' front office that Sewell could be a "beast" of an addition to the roster.
As the draft played out, Holmes contacted the Bengals and the Dolphins, per a report from the Free Press.
"When Pitts came off the board at No. 4, Holmes called the Cincinnati Bengals -- who possessed the No. 5 pick -- and had 'dialogue' about moving up," Lions beat writer Dave Birkett explained. "Though pre-draft reports pegged the Lions as targeting (Ja'Marr) Chase, the talented receiver out of LSU, Holmes indicated his call Thursday night was about Sewell."
When the Bengals and Dolphins both passed on Sewell, video was captured of the draft room's excitement at landing a player the organization felt would kick start its rebuild.
