Getty
The reviews of Penei Sewell’s rookie season with the Detroit Lions were mostly positive, but that didn’t change how the rookie tackle badly wanted to improve this offseason.
After the year concluded, Sewell was blunt and to the point about where he believed his game stood. As he said, the rookie season wasn’t good enough at all, so he would be setting his sights on improvements he could make on and off the field.
The latest Lions news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Lions newsletter here!
Specifically, though, what is Sewell working to improve? As he explained when speaking with the media on Thursday, May 26, he wants to see himself get more consistent on the field of play more of the time.
“Definitely (want to improve) consistency. At times I would flash some good things, but it’s got to be on a consistent basis to be great in this league and to help out this team as much as possible. I’ve been working on my conditioning, working on multiple reps with my hands and so on and so forth,” Sewell explained.
In order to get more consistent, Sewell believes that he’s got to be stronger and more consistent with his hands and with strength. As a result, he’s been putting in more work in the gym, something which is significant considering the size and speed of the players he goes against in the trenches in the league.
“I’ve been lifting a lot, putting more weight on the board just kind of getting comfortable in the weight room and it’s a big testament to these guys too because I’ve been here training and just kind of trusting the process,” Sewell said. “Seeing other guys do it, that the weight room is necessary and essential to being great in this league.”
With a beefed-up physique and more experience, Sewell hopes he can take the next steps toward being elite this year. Many would say Sewell was good in 2021, but it’s obvious that he wants to become even better this coming season.
Sewell’s 2021 Experience Will Help Him This Year
Last year at this time, Sewell was preparing to play right tackle, but a huge change came at him in camp with an injury to Taylor Decker. That experience was a challenge for Sewell early in his career, but it’s something that could make this season even better for him when all is said and done.
“Last year I was thrown through the ringer. I didn’t know what to expect. Everything was coming at (me) twice as fast speed so this year, it’s going to be fun,” Sewell said
Though it was challenging, Sewell survived and thrived with the experience, and he learned that he appreciated having the ability to show his talent in multiple ways.
“The year I had, let’s just say went from right to left tackle and flipped during camp with all those battles, it definitely helped me improve my muscles and my muscle memory. Kind of just flipping that switch every time I do the switch,” he sad. “I don’t like to be boxed into one thing, so I kind of like it and like the challenge and whatever challenges they give me, I’m gonna take it off.”
The added experience at left tackle allowed the Lions to see what they had in Sewell, and it’s clear the team knows they have a major athlete. Detroit hopes they don’t have to move Sewell around again, but if they do, they will have confidence in him not only embracing the move but thriving with it as well.
Recapping Sewell’s Rookie Season
To say that the 2021-22 season was a strong start for Sewell is more than a bit of an understatement no matter how many improvements the rookie wanted to see this offseason. 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. Perhaps the signature moment for Sewell is when he refused to back down from Aaron Donald in a game:
Though he seemed unhappy with the results, the Lions should be happy with what Sewell accomplished and also love the fact that the rookie is hungry to keep building upon what figures to be a decent start by anyone else’s calculations. It looks as if he is
READ NEXT: QB Tier Has Bad 2022 Ranking for Jared Goff
Comments
Penei Sewell Remains Locked-in on Improving Consistency for Lions