Penei Sewell thought he was going to be a Bengal … and Sewell's agents had plenty of dialogue with the Bengals in the buildup to draft night. When Cincinnati was on the clock at No. 5, Sewell expected his phone to ring.

"You just have that feeling when something’s about to happen or you’re about to get a call of some sort, so you just have that anticipation," he told the Free Press. "But, yeah, it never came."

… The Lions and Bengals meet Sunday (and) their fortunes have diverged since that April night when they turned in their draft cards.

The Bengals made the Super Bowl in 2021 with Burrow and Chase leading the way, and reached the AFC championship game the next season. But Burrow missed much of the 2023 season with a wrist injury and is out till at least December now following toe surgery. Meanwhile, the Bengals rank in the bottom half of the NFL in sack rate allowed – for the 11th straight year.

The Lions missed the playoffs in 2021 and '22, but are 30-8 since the start of the 2023 season, best in the NFL. Their offensive line is the engine that fuels their league-leading offense and Sewell, a two-time first-team All-Pro at right tackle who turns 25 next week, is on a Hall of Fame trajectory.

… "He is a pillar of the team," Lions left tackle Taylor Decker said. "Nobody’s arguing that he’s not one of the best linemen in the NFL. The guy’s a superstar. He can do everything we ask him to do and he allows us to be a lot more multiple. So I feel like if you can get an elite lineman there’s not much more that you want other than that. Maybe the only other position would be a quarterback or an edge rusher that’s right up there with it, but if you can get an elite tackle like that and who pretty much out of the gate is top of his game, I mean, he’s a generational player."

20 comments

  1. I’m glad we have Sewell and he’s a core reason this team is the way it is, but let’s not act like the Bengals picked poorly. They got someone who is widely considered the top (or 2nd best, depending on the evaluator) WR in the league.

  4. Bengals passed on Sewell for a great WR. They dont make it to the superbowl without Chase that year.

    Dolphins taking Waddle is far far worse.

  6. This is only kind of related but I wholeheartedly believe the fact that Zac Taylor wasn’t fired last year is the only thing separating the league from a Burrow-Ben Johnson 10 year dynasty

  7. They could have drafted Penei and St Brown…just like a laundry list of players Brad could have also drafted instead of some of his misses. Also, Penei instead of Chase doesn’t fix their team

  9. This is a pretty dumb narrative. The Bengals were one play away from winning the Super Bowl in Chase’s first year and then made the AFC Championship his second year.

    Also the idea that Burrow is only injury prone due to the Oline is very dumb.

  10. Chase was not a bad pick but that 2021 draft was insane in hindsight. So much talent all over the place. Also fun note, our guy Grant Stuard was Mr. Irrelevant!

  11. I think one of the biggest things overlooked about having a great offensive line is not about keeping a clean pocket to complete passes, but its helping protect the most important player on your team from getting hurt.

  12. Something I forgot. The Bengals traded Andrew Whitworth to the Rams and Whit’s last career game was that Super Bowl lol

  13. I feel bloody awful for Bengals fans (especially my Cinci pal). They’re in a WCF situation where Sheila won’t come to wash her father’s legacy. I cant laugh at a team whose loyal fans are gut punched by idiots with the checkbook.

    But man, all those Bengalians who said Joe was much better with Chase than Penei, womp womp. I just hope Burrow can go somewhere cool that will love him before his spectacular talent is snuffed out, the game is better when that baller is slinging it. I wish we could have seen a prime Goff v Burrow matchup this year.

  15. I remember when he first started at right tackle and had to get used to it and everyone was so worried haha

    I’m going to need him to be mic’d up when we win the super bowl, his pre-game speeches are elite too

  16. Can you imagine an alternate universe where we got Ja’marr Chase and Amon Ra St Brown in the same draft. Like, I wouldn’t trade Penei for anything, but how crazy and fun would that have been

  18. The bengals got us Sewell

    The jags got us Hutch

    The cat team brotherhood has never been stronger

  19. I am a Bengals fan. Saying “We should’ve drafted Penei over Ja’Marr” will get me sent to the shadow realm. I get that Ja’Marr is an absolutely incredible player and I am thrilled I get to watch him on my team on Sundays. However, we absolutely whiffed on our next offensive line pick (Jackson Carman) and have only put together a band-aid offensive line ever since.

    Coaching has been disastrous. I still believe in Amarius Mims. Lord help me.

  20. Playing revionist with the draft is a losing game. Every team can look at a guy they passed on and want a redo, happens every year.

    I mean Zach Wilson and Trey Lance went 2 & 3 overall in that draft. Im sure the Jets/49ers are kicking themselves there. I get the logic of wanting Burrow to have a weapon and Jamarr Chase is a superstar.

    Like everyone, I figure Sewell wouldnt be there at 7. But its why I love the access we get as fans to Holmes’ draft room. Seeing the reaction of the whole crew when Waddle goes at 6 and Sewell is available is what sports is about.

    Whatever the reason, Im so happy he landed in Detroit. He’s the heartbeat of the team.

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