The 2021 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Penei Sewell 2021 NFL Draft Profile.
Background
Position: Offensive Tackle
Size: 6-foot-6, 330 pounds
Class: Junior
2019 stats: First Team All-American, Outland Trophy winner
One of the best players in college football was not on the field in 2020 because the Pac-12 did not have a fall season initially. Penei Sewell will be drafted very early in the 2021 NFL Draft after declaring early.
As a four-star prospect, Sewell had a lot of choices of where to play his college football, choosing Oregon. He immediately impressed in his first year on campus, being named a Freshman All-American. The Ducks won nine games that season, including the RedBox Bowl. As a sophomore, Sewell helped Oregon win 12 games. The season was capped off with a Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin. Sewell was named a First Team All-American and won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top offensive lineman.
After waiting for a few weeks to see if the Pac-12 had a plan to play in the fall, Sewell decided to declare for the 2021 NFL Draft. He will be one of the first players picked in the draft.
Strengths
The first thing that scouts will notice is that Sewell looks the part. He stands 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds, which is good for an NFL tackle. He also appears to have long enough arms that his length shouldn’t be an issue. Sewell will check the boxes from a height, weight, length perspective.
His athleticism and mobility really jump out and tape. He has elite athleticism for the tackle position and can match up with the physical freaks that appear as pass rushers across from him. Sewell can stay with speed rushers, can get to the second level on running plays and is great to use on screens, pulls and sweeps because he is so quick for his size. His footwork aids in his mobility, as he moves his feet efficiently.
Sewell displayed good awareness and football IQ. He was patient in pass protection and showed proficiency in picking up blitzes. On instances where the defensive line would have twists or stunts, Sewell picked the right man up. Sewell didn’t get beat often in college and a lot of that is because he knows what he is looking at in front of him.
Weaknesses
Finding weaknesses for Sewell isn’t easy. He showed he could use his hands well, but when he did get beat by a defensive lineman, it was usually because his hands let him down. At times he doesn’t have good placement or he can’t establish his hands early, giving the rusher the edge. If he can keep his hands on defenders, they usually can’t shed his block.
He is a great run blocker, but isn’t a big body mover. Sewell will execute his assignment and can even get to the second level, but isn’t always going to move his defender completely out of the way. He can play with more power in the running game.
Sewell also showed that he can struggle with power in pass blocking, as he struggled to block some of Auburn’s bigger defensive linemen. Again, this isn’t a huge issue, but happened very sporadically throughout his career.
Projected Draft Range: Top 5 Pick
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