Penei Sewell has established himself as one of the NFL's best protectors. He likely would have won the inaugural Protector of the Year award in 2025 had the Detroit Lions pieced together a better season from their line overall. His rule at right tackle is felt across the NFC, and especially by Jared Goff.
That's what makes the idea of swapping him over to the now-vacant left tackle position a bit tough to conceptualize. He's done it before, to be sure, but moving him from a spot where he's unbelievably dominant at to the complete opposite end, throwing him off his in-game rhythm, feels risky.
While the Lions somewhat addressed this elephant in the room with their Larry Borom signing, they should still be looking to take a left tackle in this year's draft who can develop into a starter with them down the line. That's exactly what ESPN's Mel Kiper predicts to be the case for Detroit after losing Taylor Decker.
"The Lions entered free agency with a Taylor Decker-sized hole at left tackle after the veteran asked for his release. They signed Larry Borom, but they shouldn't stop there. Proctor's play was a little uneven last season, but I think he can stick at left tackle in the NFL and could help keep Jared Goff upright as Detroit tries to get back to the playoffs. Proctor has 40 starts worth of experience, knows how to take away opponent pass-rush moves and moves very well for a 6-foot-7, 352-pound blocker."
Lions could keep Sewell at right tackle with this mock draft
Kiper is right to mention Borom as, essentially, a Band-Aid for the Lions' problems at left tackle. He's versatile and showed the ability to improve as a pass-protector late last season, so it wouldn't be terrible to see Detroit prepping him to be their starting left tackle in Week 1. But, Proctor is one of the most intriguing tackle prospects in this class because of his daunting size.
If the Lions can hone his skills and help to coach him up into a starting left tackle, that's a huge body in the way of Goff. There's bound to be a few pro-ready tackles in this class that fall to Detroit at 17, too, so even if they don't take Proctor, other names worth monitoring include Monroe Freeling, Blake Miller, and Spencer Fano.
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But, Proctor's got multiple starts under his belt protecting his quarterback's blind side. Helping him transition into the league by placing him exactly where he was thriving while with Alabama is in the best interest of him, and the Lions. He finished his last season with the Crimson Tide with a PFF grade of 85.4 - 9th amongst 631 eligible tackles.
One note on Proctor, though, is that NFL.com's draft expert Lance Zierlein doesn't view Proctor as a long-term left tackle. That could throw a wrench into the Lions' plan to keep Sewell where he is, if that is the plan. He wrote:
"He struggles to mirror athletes in space and lacks the range to protect deeper pocket drops against speed. Inconsistency in pass protection hasn’t helped his draft standing, but he still has the potential to become a good right tackle or very good guard."
Again, that's the benefit of having signed Borom for the Lions: they can refine Proctor's skills as a pass protector, and eventually slide him in to that spot in 2027 if Borom doesn't play completely above his contract.
Keeping Sewell over at right tackle would make this deal even sweeter for Detroit, who are clearly gearing up for long-term success and not a "must-win" push in 2026.