The Detroit Lions were thrilled to land offensive lineman Penei Sewell in the first-round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and now, that excitement finally comes with some video evidence.
Brad Holmes, Dan Campbell, Sheila Ford and company were downright pumped up on Thursday night when Sewell slipped and fell down the board to the seventh-overall pick, and it’s clear from the reaction that the Lions were beyond fired up to get their hands on the top tackle.
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After the pick, the Lions revealed a behind-the-scenes look at the phone call that brought Sewell to Detroit. It was full of excitement, passion and downright beautiful scenes from the team’s war room on draft night. Perhaps the most excited of anyone was Holmes.
Here’s a look:
“We want you in this Pride❗️”
Go behind the scenes for the call welcoming @peneisewell58 to #OnePride
Some of the best moments were Holmes dancing around and screaming, Campbell welcoming Sewell by telling him to keep playing tough and nasty and Ford celebrating with some more tempered excitement of her own.
Clearly, the team is more than pumped to get their new player into the mix.
Dan Orlovsky Loves Lions Selection of Sewell
ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky was a major fan of the move to draft Sewell. Orlovsky has been pleading for weeks for the Lions to make a smart move and grab and offensive lineman, and it just so happens they grabbed the best one in the draft and a potential generational talent.
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Speaking after the pick was revealed, Orlovsky couldn’t hide his excitement about what his former team did.
I 😍😍😍😍 it @Lions
FINALLY
Orlovsky said:
“Win with bigs, build with bigs, BWB. Don’t fall in love with the sexy. I think the Lions now, because Penei Sewell, will have a top-five offensive line in the NFL. I think they’ll have a top-five offensive line in the NFL for the better part of a decade because of this selection. This is one of the first times in a long time that I feel like they are doing the right thing. Now they got a chance to build an organization.”
Not only did Orlovsky love the move, but most of the internet did as well. It’s safe to say the team has the makings of a very solid group for the future adding Sewell and the line is no longer something for the team to fret about moving forward.
Sewell Given Lofty Potential for Career by NFL Coach
Why were the Lions so excited to land Sewell? He slipped past a couple of needy teams in the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins into the lap of the Lions, who snapped him up at seven overall unexpectedly. Sewell was a top five talent in the draft. The good news for Detroit? Sewell could end up being one of the best players in the entire draft class if a coach is to be believed.
According to an anonymous NFL coach, Sewell could be the one surefire Hall of Famer in the entire 2021 draft class.
One NFL head coach called Lions’ first-round pick Penei Sewell “the one surefire Hall of Famer in this draft class.”
Obviously the Lions would love that considering the fact that they have struggled getting Hall of Fame players in the draft or anywhere else lately in the draft. The team’s offensive line has been a weak point for years, but with Sewell, it’s suddenly a strong point.
Will Sewell’s road be paved to Canton, Ohio? Some see that to be the case. While there’s a long way to go before that is found out, it’s obvious the team likes what they have to start.
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‘We Want You in This Pride:’ Watch Epic Moment Lions Pick Penei Sewell