Penei Sewell: Rookie Season 'Not Good Enough'

Detroit Lions rookie Penei Sewell is ready to improve and come back better in 2022.

Rookie offensive lineman Penei Sewell did not have the opportunity to play in the Detroit Lions' season finale at Ford Field against the Green Bay Packers. 

Despite the minor setback, Sewell's rookie campaign was a massive success. 

Against the Seattle Seahawks, his final appearance in 2021, Sewell did not allow a single pressure on 41 pass blocks. 

“He had some ups and downs, and I feel like, man, over the last half of the season, he’s really grown,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell explained to reporters. “You feel like there are about three or four sets in there yesterday where you watch him on Carlos Dunlap, who is still a good rusher -- he’s long -- and Sewell’s doing a few things you see out of a pretty crafty, wily, eight-year vet. Like you’re watching him do some things where he’s trapping his hands and he’s just, man, he’s learning at an exponential rate.

“And the fact that he’s such a dang good athlete. I’ll just bring it back up, he’s a great athlete. He’s 330-something pounds. I mean, those guys don’t just fall off trees.”

For the 21-year-old, hearing praise is nice, but it will not overshadow the work he needs to do in order to get better and meet his potential. 

During his final media session with reporters, Sewell took a different tone when he was asked to grade his rookie season. 

"Not good enough. At all. There's a couple of games where I kind of struggled. But, I had to go through it," Sewell said. "Coach Campbell said it will just help me grow as an individual, as a player and everything with that. So, looking forward to next year. It's on."

© Junfu Han via Imagn Content Services, LLC

© Junfu Han via Imagn Content Services, LLC

© Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

The aspect of his game he wants to focus on the most this offseason is his pass protection. 

"Definitely my pass game. A lot more. I want to be more fluid," Sewell said. "I want to be more consistent out there."

The plan will be to get with a handful of coaches either in Texas, Arizona or California and pick their brains as to how he can drastically improve his game. 

Sewell explained, "I think there are great guys out there that have great knowledge that I can go learn from. Probably will pick brains from each and every one of them and see what fits for me."

Detroit's offensive line has been the reason many supporters have hope for the future. 

After being dormant for years, there seemingly now is hope Detroit's run game can take off in 2022. 

“If you choose to be a good run- blocker, and you’ve got a little bit of an attitude, that’s going to go a long way toward being pretty good. And that’s what he’s got, before anything else," Campbell said. "Then certainly, once you add that ability, that explosiveness and size, then, man, that’s a force to be reckoned with.”