The Detroit Lions started building an elite roster when Brad Holmes came aboard in 2021, and the first draft pick that led to the metamorphosis was Penei Sewell.
As soon as Sewell came into the mix, the Lions knew they had a special player. They probably didn't know quite how special the tackle would become in a short amount of time. Sewell not only adjusted to his own position quickly, but also showed he can impact the game in plenty of other ways.
Dan Campbell and his coaching staff realized how special Sewell was the moment they saw him take the field. Having played the game himself, Campbell knows an athlete when he sees one. As he told "Green Light with Chris Long," Sewell can do anything on a football field at a high level.
"There is no limitation on him. Whether it's the screen game, the run game, the one-on-ones, the whole protection. Just let him go one-on-one jumbo, make him a jumbo tight end, let him throw, hand him a reverse. There is nothing he can't do."
The bigger story? Campbell told Long that Sewell could even be a Hall-of-Fame tight end, and lumped him in with some of the team's better playmakers given all he can do.
"I've said this before. If we just made him a tight end, I think he'd be a Hall-of-Fame tight end. It's crazy. He is a freakish athlete. Just nimble, athletic, can do it all. We got (Amon-Ra) St. Brown, Jameson (Williams), (Jahmyr) Gibbs, but he's very much a part of that. He allows us to do so much schematically."
Obviously, the Lions think very highly of Sewell, and this admission only proves how eager the franchise is to have him involved in all aspects of their game day plan.
Sewell still thrilled by the opportunity to factor in with Lions' offense
The last few seasons, Sewell enjoyed a couple of big plays for an offensive lineman. He caught a pass on fourth-down against the Minnesota Vikings in 2023, and also got the chance to have the ball in his hands against the Chicago Bears last season.
While that play wasn't big, it was still a thrill for Sewell. He got to show off his moves and even revealed to Long he was supposed to play the role of quarterback, quickly shifting to being a runner when things broke down.
"That one against Chicago, I was supposed to throw it, but I told coach, I was like, "Yeah, this the only time I get the ball, I know you guys want me to throw it away, but I'm going to try to make some (yardage)."'
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In terms of getting the ball, Sewell isn't afraid to take on anyone defensively, and has a plan no matter whether he faces a smaller defensive back or a bigger lineman.
"I feel like DB's, they're just smaller. You just got to be athletic enough to slow down your feet and get hands on (them) at the end of the day. But a defensive lineman, they're the same strength, same everything. I feel like if you're able to get them on the ground, it's more of an achievement. And then you can do the slip and slide on them."
The Lions clearly believe in Sewell as a playmaker, and he believes in himself. Whether it's throwing, catching or making open field moves, it could be wise to count on the tackle having the ball in his hands eventually this season.