Getty Nephi Sewell celebrates a fumble with his Utah teammates in 2020.
Last year at this time, the Detroit Lions were deep in the process of evaluating eventual first-round pick Penei Sewell. This year, they could be evaluating even more players from the Sewell family as we speak.
Nephi Sewell, a linebacker from Utah, will be in the 2022 NFL draft, and it’s clear that his brother would like to see him join the team he did almost exactly one year ago as he makes his career transition to the NFL.
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Sewell hopped on Twitter recently and re-tweeted a highlight and scouting package of his brother playing. He included a very interesting bit of text, showing his fingers crossed while posing the question “Lion?” Here’s a look:
Sewell was also quick to remind folks with a tweet that he is the little brother in this family scenario. It’s not uncommon for brothers to want to team up in the league, and it’s been done before with some degree of success. Jason McCourty and Devin McCourty played for New England and did a great job together, albeit on the same side of the football. The Lions themselves have Julian Okwara and Romeo Okwara roaming the defense together.
Could the Sewell family team up to do some of the same things on opposite sides of the ball? Detroit has an intense need at linebacker this offseason, so more bodies at the position could be huge. Sewell himself could be a find in the later rounds for the team, so everything could add up for a possible selection.
Obviously, it’s something the Sewell family could be rooting for to play out when everything is said and done.
Recapping Penei Sewell’s Rookie Season
To say that the 2021-22 season was a strong start for the younger Sewell is more than a bit of an understatement. The offensive tackle excelled no matter where he was playing, and managed to catch the eye of sites like Pro Football Focus multiple times. Sewell was one of the top-graded tackles in the league as a rookie, and routinely opened eyes for his ability to keep whomever was playing quarterback for the Lions upright as well as helping the running game succeed. Sewell did not crack the Pro Bowl for his rookie work, but the fact he was stable on the field should be enough of a plus for the Lions moving forward. As a whole, Sewell started 16 total games for the Lions and was a mainstay up front for the team. Here’s a look at what it sounded like for Sewell when he was mic’d up:
If Sewell’s first season was any indication, the Lions should certainly give his brother a fair look. It was a dominating first year in the league that could point to the overall readiness of the entire family to be able to take on the NFL.
Nephi Sewell’s College Stats & Highlights
In terms of the brother Sewell, there’s a lot for the Lions to potentially like there as well for the defensive side of the ball. In a four-year career that spanned Nevada as well as an eventual transfer to Utah, Sewell was very productive, putting up 251 tackles, 5 interceptions. Notably, Sewell has also forced 3 fumbles while recovering 3 fumbles, and has 6 passes defended. That points to him as a very active prospect on the defensive side of things.
Here’s a look at some highlights from Sewell’s career thus far in college:
Sewell is a tough player that packs a punch on the defensive side of the ball. It certainly would not be nepotism to say that the Lions need to consider him given their needs at the position on the field for the future.
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Penei Sewell Hoping Linebacker Brother Also Gets Drafted by Lions