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Penei Sewell was All-Pro three times and selected to the Pro Bowl four times in his first five seasons, putting him in elite company with just three Hall of Famers.
The Detroit Lions are changing Sewell’s position this season, setting him apart from Anthony Munoz, Tony Boselli and Joe Thomas.
The trio of former all-time greats are the only other offensive tackles to have been first-team All-Pro at least three times and named to the Pro Bowl four or more times during their first five years in the league — and they were left tackles throughout their NFL careers.
Detroit makes the decision to replace Taylor Decker while placing first-round pick Blake Miller or newly acquired veteran Larry Borom in Sewell’s previous spot at right tackle.
Lions coach Dan Campbell expects a smooth transition for Sewell, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 335 pounds.
“It’ll be like riding a bike for him,” Campbell said Friday before the team’s practice. “Will there be things he’ll have to learn? Yeah, sure, there will be. But I mean, he played left. It’s muscle memory. He played left a lot in college and for us in ’21.”
Detroit drafted Sewell out of Oregon, where he was a prize-winning left tackle, with the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Sewell started the first eight games of his 2021 career at left tackle because Decker was injured, making him the youngest left tackle to start an NFL game at age 20.
The Lions moved Sewell to right tackle midway through his rookie year, and he remained there for over four seasons except for a short stint during the 2023 season when Decker was injured again.
“Sewell can do anything,” Campbell said.
Decker requested his release during the offseason, ending a 10-year career as the team’s starting left tackle after announcing he would return instead of retiring. The Lions filled the void by taking Miller from Clemson with the No. 17 pick last month.
Sewell, who is in the first season of a four-year, $112 million contract, has proven to be a good fit for Detroit.
He earned first-team, All-Pro honors the last three years and Pro Bowl recognition four consecutive times. Sewell started 83 times in the regular season, plus four playoff games, in five years to help the long-suffering franchise become a respected team in the league.
Campbell said Sewell is athletic enough to play guard or even tight end, but switching sides to an offensive lineman can be a challenge.
Players who have made this decision say it’s like driving a car with the opposite foot or shaving with the other hand. The footwork is different, as is the hand-eye coordination required on each side.
“When you switch, you have a different leg in front,” Sewell said. “So you have to push a different leg each time. You have to train that leg that’s been coming back all the time and catching up.”
Associated Press reporting.
