Penei Sewell Has Become 'Significantly Stronger' since Rookie Season
The Detroit Lions are quite confident in the young core of players that have joined the organization the past two years.
Among them is right tackle Penei Sewell, who is entering his second season in the NFL.
Entering his second workout program with the team that made him the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 Draft, the 21-year-old offensive lineman is poised to become more consistent out on the field, and is expected to take a drastic leap forward.
"I think with any player, the fact that he’s banked that many reps and practice time reps, and the level of competition that he’s gone against, it’s invaluable," Lions head coach Dan Campbell shared with reporters prior to OTA workouts. "Anybody will tell you in this League, you’ll never make as big of a jump as you will year No. 1 to year No. 2. It doesn’t mean you won’t continue to get better, but year 1 to year 2 is the biggest you’ll make in this League. We anticipate that he will be better and get a little bit better, and he’s already a pretty skillful athlete, pretty good player. But, I know this, up to this point, he’s been locked in. You can see the confidence, and he’s handling his business, which I appreciate."
After playing on both the left and right side of the line his rookie season, Sewell took the time this offseason to put more time in the weight room, which has produced increased strength and tangible results.
"I think especially down the stretch last year, he was playing great. He's just young," Taylor Decker explained. "This offseason, (he's) gotten significantly stronger, at least from what I've seen in the weight room."
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Asked about his self-scout following his rookie season, Sewell pointed to the ability to be consistent as a pathway to become "great" at this level of football.
"Definitely consistency. At times, I would flash some some good things, but it's got to be on a consistent basis to be great in this league and to help out this team as much as possible," he said. "So, I've been working on my conditioning, working on my multiple reps with my hands, and so on and so forth.
He added, "I've been lifting a lot, putting more weight on the board, just kind of getting comfortable in the weight room. And, it's a big testament to these guys, too, because I've been here training and just kind of trusting the process. Seeing other guys do it, that the weight room is necessary and essential to being great in this league."
An added value for the Lions, which are expected to feature one of the league's top offensive lines, is Sewell gaining increased comfort knowing what is expected of him and being able to slow things down, in order to execute at the highest level possible.
"Last year, I was thrown through the ringer," he said. "I didn't know what to expect. Everything was coming at twice as fast of speed. So, this year is going to be fun."
