Detroit Lions starting right tackle Penei Sewell latest Pro Bowl snub

Detroit Lions rookie starting right tackle Penei Sewell deprived of 2021 Pro Bowl bid.

After a shaky summer trying to transition from being an elite college left tackle to playing on the right side as a professional, Penei Sewell is quickly becoming one of the league’s best.

The Detroit Lions used the no. 7 overall pick on the Oregon product.  Sewell’s slow start had plenty of fans concerned that Brad Holmes swung and missed on his first selection as the organization’s general manager.  Let’s not forget, Sewell’s slow start may not have been just about the position change, he decided to opt-out of his final college season due to the coronavirus pandemic.  It had been over a calendar year since he played competitive football.

In the days leading up to the draft, it seemed the Lions faithful were split between Sewell, Micah Parsons, and DeVonta Smith. Parsons was selected no. 12 overall by the Cowboys; Smith was taken tenth overall by the Eagles. Ironically, all three would have proved to be a superb choice. You could have made a case for all three.

Parsons is expected to be the defensive rookie of the year, as he’s enjoying a spectacular season in Dallas.

So far in 2021, Parsons has accumulated a whopping 13 sacks, 62 tackles, three forced fumbles, and 57 total pressures.  Parsons is headed to his first of likely many Pro Bowls in his rookie year.  Parsons has played his way to a stellar 83.3 overall rating, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).

Smith has also enjoyed a rock-solid rookie campaign with the Eagles making 53 receptions on 85 targets totaling 741 receiving yards and four touchdowns.  Smith averages 14 yards per reception, and the quarterback passer rating is 101.2 when he’s targeted.  Smith has only dropped three passes in 2021.

Although I like Smith, Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown is a perfect example of why I prefer not to draft a receiver in the top-10.  St. Brown, a fourth-round selection, targeted 84 times and has made 65 grabs totaling 604 yards and two scores.

Despite being snubbed, Detroit Lions’ offensive tackle, Penei Sewell, is enjoying a Pro Bowl-type season.

It’s somewhat surprising to see Sewell left off the Pro Bowl list, knowing he’s played unbelievably well since coming out of the bye.  If not for the slow start, he’d undoubtedly represent the Detroit Lions in 2021.

Sewell has earned an overall rating of 78.0 courtesy of PFF, which is awe-inspiring understanding that he had a string of three games early on in the season of 58.5, 45.5, and 46.3.

One part of Sewell’s game that’s remained consistent all season long is as a run blocker.  He’s maintained an elite 85.8 mark as a mauler in the run game.  Although Sewell didn’t receive a Pro Bowl bid in 2021, there will certainly be many opportunities in the future.

Another Pro Bowl snub on the Lions is starting corner Amani Oruwariye.  Oruwariye leads Detroit with six interceptions which ranks third in the NFL, he’s also allowing a passer rating against of just 36.0, and that ranks second in the league (among players targeted 50-plus times).

Last season T.J. Hockenson, Frank Ragnow, and Jack Fox all represented the Lions.

The Lions did get four reserves named this season, T.J. Hockenson, but an injury will keep him out of the contest if called on.  Also named as a reserve are right guard Jonah Jackson, Jason Cabinda, and Jalen Reeves-Maybin.