DETROIT LIONS SELECT OT PENEI SEWELL WITH THEIR FIRST-ROUND PICK (#7 OVERALL) OF THE 2021 NFL DRAFT

Allen Park, Mich.— The Detroit Lions selected OT Penei Sewell with their first-round pick (7th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft.
2021 DETROIT LIONS NFL DRAFT QUOTE SHEETSLions Head Coach Dan Campbell sat down with WJBK-FOX 2 via Zoom following the team’s first-round selection. Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager Brad Holmes was available to the media via Zoom following the conclusion of Day 1 of the NFL Draft. In addition, OT Penei Sewell was available to media via Zoom. The following is a quote sheet with excerpts from their media sessions.
LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL on WJBK-FOX 2 (VIA ZOOM)On the celebration in the Lions’ war room after the selection of T Penei Sewell with the No. 7 overall Draft selection: “Listen, we couldn’t be more excited. As a matter of fact, we knew it right when Miami made their pick, we knew exactly what was going down. We didn’t need to worry about anything else. That was our guy. This is a big man who can move. He has great feet, a temperament about him, an attitude and he’s a cornerstone player, man. He’s somebody you can build a team around and that’s exactly why we got him.”
On what the selection of T Penei Sewell says about the kind of football the Lions want to play this year and the talent on the offensive line: “Absolutely, it is. What it says is that we want to be able to run the ball, but we want to be able to protect the quarterback. It says both. And with him, he gives us a little more beef up front, gets us a little more athletic up front. He’ll go hand and hand, fit like a glove with (Taylor) Decker and (Frank) Ragnow, Jonah Jackson and those guys. We’re excited, the kid’s excited. You saw Brad (Holmes) in there, Sheila (Ford Hamp). We’re through the roof. We are through the roof. Probably what you saw on TV was actually tapered down from what it was even before that. We’re excited.”
On T Penei Sewell’s potential to grow and develop from where he is now: “That’s another one of the things that’s very intriguing about him. When you are 330 pounds and you move like he moves, and you know that he’s the second youngest player in this draft, oh my God, the sky’s the limit.”
On what preparations went into the selection of T Penei Sewell: “It’s unbelievable that you do put in all the work that you do for that short period, man. To put that pick in, a 10-second pick. But the work has been unbelievable. Let me tell you something, Brad (Holmes) has been phenomenal, alright, phenomenal. He started this thing. He set the tone for how we were going to work this draft. Between he, and (John) Dorsey, and Lance (Newmark), and Ray (Agnew), and Dave Sears, just collectively it’s been outstanding, man, and that’s just the first one. We have more to come.”
LIONS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER BRAD HOLMES ROUND 1 QUOTE SHEET (VIA ZOOM)Opening statement: “Alright guys. Sorry to keep you guys waiting for so long, there was a little bit of post-round-one chatter, but we just couldn’t be any more excited than we are about Penei (Sewell). Just really stoked. Going through the process, we truly, we got to a point where we pretty much identified three players and he was one of those three that we would just be extremely, let’s just say through the roof about. To be able to land him, he’s going to be an integral and impactful piece to our franchise going forward for years to come. He’s going to be a great addition to our offensive line. He’s just a transcendent talent. I can’t quite remember a guy that had feet like him in a long time, but it’s not just the athletic ability. He’s got the toughness, he’s got the grit, he’s got the strength. He’s got the intangibles that we’re looking for. He’s a great kid, he comes from a great family. He comes from a football family, his dad’s a coach, his brothers are college football players, one is at Oregon now. We just really loved the make-up and we just couldn’t be any more jacked about landing Penei and how it all unfolded. Couldn’t be more excited. He’s going to be a core piece for what we’re doing going forward.”
On the situation T Penei Sewell is entering with veteran players along the offensive line: “Yeah, I think it’s a great situation. We have enough veteran players in that room that can really provide guidance to Penei. He just has to be himself. He’s not under any pressure to be this or that, he just has to come in and we’ll allow him to develop and evolve to the position and to the unit. We don’t have any reservations about him being a fit, he definitely is. In terms of the situation and even (Offensive Line Coach) Hank Fraley, he does a heck of a job and he was involved in the recruiting process early on when he was at UCLA. Being that he already had a prior history with him it’s been a great fit. Just the dialogue that we’ve had with him throughout the process all the way up to let’s just call it a couple of days ago with (Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) and myself it’s been A1. Really excited and definitely coming into a great situation.”
On if he will reveal the other players the Lions were interested in with the No. 7 overall selection: “I’ll keep that. For competitive reasons, I’ll keep that. But it was down to three guys that we were really, really looking forward to landing, Penei being one of them.”
On who the Lions would have drafted if T Penei Sewell was not available: “We would have looked at, possibly it would have been one of a similar position to him or one other position, I would say.”
On if any other teams made trade offers at the time of the draft selection and reports that his asking price to trade the No. 7 overall pick were too high: “Yeah, I’m not sure about, I didn’t get the responses that the asking price was high. Obviously, didn’t go forward with some of them. I’d say before the Draft it was a lot heavier, before round one started. But I will say at our pick the phone rang from a couple of teams, but we just felt so good about Penei (Sewell) it wasn’t intriguing enough for us to risk not landing him.”
On if it was a difficult decision to choose a smart pick over a flashier pick: “Well, I mean I think Penei (Sewell) is pretty flashy himself, I will say that. but I understand what you’re saying. Obviously, it’s termed often not as sexy when you go with a big lineman. Sometimes they safe it’s safe and it’s sound, but I think that it will be very, very, I guess the sexy, attractive pick when he’s rolling with our offensive line during the season and making an impact in both phases, running and passing.”
On how getting a good draft selection in the first round sets him up well for Day 2 of the Draft: “We’re going to stick to the game plan that we had at (number) seven, or if we would’ve possibly moved in any direction, up or back, that’s just you know, get the best football player. Like I said, you guys probably say, ‘Well, that’s GM speak,’ but no, it’s really, we’re not going to anchor ourselves, or pigeonhole ourselves into, ‘We’ve got to get this position, or that position.’ I mean, look, if it’s another offensive lineman that’s a high impact player, then it’s another offensive lineman. If it’s a defensive back, then it’s a defensive back. Whoever is the best football player for us to make sure that we can get the most competitive team as we can through our efforts, then that’s where we’re going to go.”
On how much Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell’s thinking and influence from the New Orleans Saints has influenced his early building of the roster: “Yeah, that’s a good question, and Dan has shared with myself in terms of how their offensive line was setup. When we sat down, Dan and I, and just started really looking at the roster as a whole, we actually identified the offensive line as a strength on our team. So, to be able to let’s just say, feed the beast, and add to that strength and just make it even more of a powerful unit, that’s really what it came down to. Dan was great in terms of kind of just really articulating where these guys fit, and even the current players, there’s visions for these players at other positions on the offensive line. So, he’s been outstanding in that regard. But we were definitely, our visions were aligned in terms of the ability to add a player like him that makes us more powerful.”
On how much he considered the reports that Packers QB Aaron Rodgers may want to be traded: “Well, obviously, because it’s news within the Division, we’re aware of it. You know, we talk about it, but obviously, it’s speculation. You know, we can’t really bank on anything or think that things are going to happen. We just kind of have a brief discussion about it and we got to get focused and take care of our business.”
On what he thought about Bears QB Justin Fields as a prospect and if teams were interested in trading up to the No. 7 overall pick to draft him: “Nobody actually said a specific prospect’s name during the preliminary discussions either earlier today, or even after the pick. Obviously, he’s a very, very talented player. There’s no doubt about it, but I will say that we did have Penei ranked higher. So, even with him being there in the hopper, we felt better about Penei.”
On if he sees Lions first-round draft selection T Penei Sewell competing at the right tackle position: “Yeah, I mean as of right now, I definitely think he will definitely be at the right tackle spot right now, for sure.”
LIONS T PENEI SEWELL QUOTE SHEET (VIA ZOOM)Opening statement: “I just want to say thank you for the opportunity. I’m excited to hear everyone’s questions and let’s get it started.”
On how familiar he is with the current Lions offensive line: “Yeah, I know a couple. Obviously, I know Taylor Decker, the left tackle, and I know Frank Ragnow, the center. And then my boy Tyrell Crosby, he actually went to Oregon when I was there. To be a part of that room and to be able to join them is a blessing. There’s a lot of knowledge and a lot of years in that room, so coming in I’m going to soak it all up and be a sponge.
On how much contact he had with the Lions staff in the pre-draft process and how he sees himself fitting in: “In the beginning, it was not that much until towards the end. They started to show more interest and conversations started to get deeper. Now, he’s trying to get to know who I am as a person and not as a football player. And man, the fit is awesome. The way that Coach Campbell approaches the game is the way I like to. I like to come real physical each and every day and get better that way.”
On growing up in American Samoa: “I’m from American Samoa and I stayed in the small village of Malaeimi. We all stayed in a shack there and it was, like you said, a beach. It’s an island surrounded by nothing, but water and you can hit the whole end probably in a 45-minute drive. It was really small, life was real simple. To come from that to where I am at today, it’s nothing but a blessing. Every time I reflect upon that, after this moment on, it just makes me happy. It puts a smile on my face to know that there’s more to do and there’s more to come. I’m excited and yeah, that’s where I came from.”
On his introduction to football: “My dad, he was a head coach on the island ever since I was young. He was always a head coach. The moment I remembered anything, I was always out there with him, whether it was helping him take out football bags for his practice or set up the cones for conditioning for his team there. My dad ultimately helped me learn the basic knowledge of the game and fundamentals.”
On what he feels separates him from other players at his position: “It’s my mindset, if I had to pick one thing, my mindset. I come in each and every day ready to run through the wall, ready to do whatever it takes to accomplish my goals and the team goals. I’m willing to do whatever it takes. I’m willing to put everything on the line, my body and everything else. I’m ready to sacrifice anything and everything for my goals and my dreams.”
On what his chain says: “Samoa. The background is Samoa, and the entire thing is the American Samoa flag.”
On where he thinks he can continue to grow his game as such a young player: “To be honest, I haven’t even started yet. That’s how I feel. There’s a lot to do, there’s a lot to be done. The sky’s the limit. I’m ready to tap into that potential and I’m ready to go to work to fulfill that dream.”
On if he knows where he will be playing on the offensive line and what joining a veteran offensive line means: “Wherever they put me, I’m going to play, and I will give it my all, 100 percent. It doesn’t matter to me. To join a room like this, man, again, it’s a blessing. To be a young dude and come into such a veteran group, again, with so many years, it’s easier for me to approach the game because I can go to them and ask them for advice and soak up as much knowledge as possible. Just being a sponge around those guys will help me out tremendously.”
On what about his game will fit the culture of toughness in Detroit: “It goes back to my mindset because ultimately it’s a mindset, just like you said, he [Head Coach Dan Campbell] is going to anyone and everyone and talking about ‘This is how we’re approaching the game.’ So I’m bringing that mindset and joining that culture and joining the team with that mindset of being ready to run through anybody. I’m willing to come in each and every day and put on the pads and get underneath someone’s chin and make them feel uncomfortable. Man, just coming in and joining in on that is cool.”
On the first thing he will do when he arrives to Detroit: “Man, I don’t even know, to be honest. I don’t know much about Detroit, but once I get there, I will probably hit up Tyrell (Crosby) or something because he’s a big bro to me. See what’s out there and what’s out there to see. Really I don’t know yet.”
On if he saw Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager Brad Holmes’ reaction to making his selection: “A little bit. I was kind of tearing up too and I looked down. I did see the room kind of turnt.”
On what excites him about playing for a passionate coach like Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell: “Man, that’s the type of coach I love playing for and the culture I came from at Oregon. So, I’m used to that, and I’m ready to put that in again and be a part of a team that preaches that and implants that into the culture, and everyday practices, and games and so on and so forth.”
On how much he loves football: “It’s a way of life for me. It’s not just a game. It’s something that I always remember. If I told you if I had a first memory of anything, it’s the game of football. I fell in love with it the moment that happened and again, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep playing the game of football.”
On what this moment means to him and his family: “Man, it’s the world. Every time I think about this moment, I go back to the kid on that island in the shack I was talking about with all my family. I had that same group when we were all in the living room sleeping on the floor in that shack and now look at us. I’m in a position to really change my family dynamic and also play at the level I wanted to play at my whole life, the NFL. To be a part of the NFL and the Detroit Lions organization is nothing but a dream come true.”