Why Penei Sewell Was Ranked Best Offensive Tackle in NFL

Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell was ranked as the top player at his position, heading into the 2026 NFL season.

Last year, the former first-round pick was ranked second. Sewell came in ranked ahead of Trent Williams, Tristan Wirfs, Jordan Mailata and Laremy Tunsil.

Annually, ESPN conducts polling of NFL execs and coaches and it is evident the 25-year-old is widely respected across the league.

According to NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, "Sewell took the top spot with consistency in the voting. Though he didn't dominate the first-place voting, he was living in the second- and third-place range, which improved his average in the composite total. And one NFC executive was blunt when describing Sewell's strengths as a player."

An NFC exec explained, "He has the most 'f--- you' attitude plays in the league. Always brings the juice."

Following a conclusion of a disappointing 9-8 season, Sewell expressed he was not satisfied with his play, given the struggles of the offensive line to protect quarterback Jared Goff.

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The offensive line was not able to gel and resulted in the running game struggling and the passing attack being inconsistent.

"His 89.6% pass block win rate landed outside the top 40 offensive tackles last season. It was his lowest since his rookie year in 2021," Fowler explained. "Sewell is making the anticipated switch from right tackle to left tackle this season, and it will be something to watch."

Despite moving over to protect Goff's blind side, there is an expectation Sewell will play at a very high level.

"He's still the most complete player at this stage -- physical, powerful, smart," a veteran NFL defensive coach told ESPN about Sewell.

One coordinator shared an interesting observation, when explaining Sewell's pass protection.

"He's got short arms, and he doesn't win a lot in pass protection against real guys, just like everyone else," the NFL coordinator expressed. "But they pretend like he doesn't [struggle]."

With Taylor Decker departing, the former Oregon Ducks offensive tackle will be tasked with leading the revamped unit.

Blake Miller, Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany are all under the age of 26, giving the front office hope the offense will remain potent in 2026.

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