When the Detroit Lions selected Blake Miller at 17th overall in the 2026 NFL draft, one thing became immediately clear: Penei Sewell was officially the teams' starting left tackle.
After Taylor Decker had requested and been granted his release this offseason, a huge hole was created on Jared Goff's blindside. There wasn't a world where the Lions, who are so close to making a deep postseason run and an eventual Super Bowl appearance, wouldn't want to re-invest in that position with premium talent.
Good thing they already had premium talent sitting on their roster.
Sewell, who has been the teams' All-Pro right tackle for the last four seasons, played left tackle in college and also replaced Decker on the line in his rookie season as the veteran was dealing with an injury. This is not going to be new to Sewell, although there's bound to be an adjustment period. Still, head coach Dan Campbell was unbelievably confident when speaking about the switch with reporters on Friday as OTAs are underway.
"He's been working it even back home, before the start of the offseason, once I gave him the word. It'll be like riding a bike for him. Will there be things we have to- of course there will be. I mean, he has played left. That's muscle memory. He played a lot of left in college and for us in '21, those first few games. And, he still took reps at left over the last five years. So, that'll be seamless."
Sewell has Campbell's complete backing amid switch to left tackle
Campbell jokingly added in his availability that Sewell could probably play tight end for the Lions if he wanted to, which is already halfway true considering he's one of their best downfield blockers. Of course, they're probably never going to put him in a Dan Skipper-esque role in earnest, but it just goes to show that Sewell has earned the trust of this staff tenfold.
If Miller is as "pro ready" as he's been made out to be, the Lions could go from having one of the most average offensive lines in the league to bouncing back to 2024 form. Obviously, that also depends on how well Cade Mays, Tate Ratledge, and the Lions' starting left guard play alongside Miller and Sewell.
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At the very least, the Lions saved millions of dollars through Sewell's adaptability. Without his experience at left tackle, Detroit might've been left to pick up the bill on an expensive Decker replacement. Instead, they had the luxury of being able to just pick up the phone and ask Sewell if he'd like a fresh start on the line.
He's the leader of the unit, and this is quite the example to lead by in the locker room.
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