Why shifting Penei Sewell again to proper sort out is sensible
According to Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell, Taylor Decker, who starts with the left tackle, could have a chance to return to the field this Sunday if the Lions take on the Cincinnati Bengals at Ford Field. This would be welcome news for a team that has lost several Impact players in the past two weeks.
Many fans will immediately wonder what the Lions will do with the seventh draft pick in 2021, Penei Sewell. If you look at what various coaches have said, it sounds like Decker is attacking on the left and Sewell on the right, like this staff is playing against them this year.
While Sewell had tough encounters against the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings, he also had his share of bright spots. Like his pro debut against the defensive end of the San Francisco 49ers, Nick Bosa in Week 1.
Outside of this game and a few other sections, Sewell’s game was largely inconsistent. And that’s to be expected for the vast majority of rookies in the NFL. Life as a young player in this league is tough. For someone like Sewell, who just turned 21 last week and didn’t play football last year, it may be especially difficult. It certainly doesn’t help that he’s now also caring for an ankle injury.
Quinn beats Sewell as quickly as humanly possible with a nasty stitch-dip-rip combo for the HQ strip / sack. Goff only had one catch after falling to 8 meters! pic.twitter.com/EBZg5eBWzm
– Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) October 5, 2021
People are going to question the decision to get Sewell back on the right tackle, and to some extent I understand. You want the young player to really stick to his long-term position, probably on the left in a duel, where he’ll hopefully be a pillar of stability for years to come. Sewell has a higher cap than Decker and has elite athletic traits that Decker simply does not have. All of these things are important and reasons Sewell is likely the left duel of Lions’ future.
However, Decker is the better player right now, and that’s especially important for a team that desperately needs their offensive line to be a (relative) strength again. Given the general lack of offensive talent across the league, Matt Nelson has shared with the Lions what to expect from a converted defensive lineman who is still learning to play the position. With time and reps over the course of the season, I believe Sewell will settle in well with the right tackle in the end.
Make no mistake, Decker is a good, sometimes great, left starter in this league. Depending on who you ask, Decker would likely fall in the top 10-15 tackles in football somewhere, which is not to be sniffed at. With him in the line-up, offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn gets a big piece of the puzzle back. And on the right, Sewell is likely to outperform Nelson despite his preseason problems. Improving two critical positions immediately should be a nice boost to an offensive that needs a lot of help.
Sewell could potentially make a great left tackle in the future. He could also be the Lions’ left tackle as early as week 1 of the 2022 season. Anyway, that day is likely to come sooner rather than later.
Except this season.
