Penei Sewell will be charged with making sure Jared Goff stays upright for the foreseeable future.
Sewell, a junior offensive tackle from the University of Oregon and the 2019 Outland Trophy recipient as the nation’s best interior lineman, was selected by the Detroit Lions with the No. 7 overall pick Thursday evening as the NFL draft conducted its first round in Cleveland.
Sewell’s four-year rookie contract, plus a fifth-year team option, is projected as being worth just over $24 million, which will include a $14.9 million signing bonus.
After his family moved from American Samoa to St. George in 2012, Sewell became one of the nation’s most-coveted recruits in the class of 2018 while excelling at Desert Hills High School in St. George.
Upon arrival in Eugene, Sewell started all seven games he played in as a true freshman missing the other six due to injury. In addition to winning the Outland Trophy in 2019, Sewell won the Morris Trophy, presented annually to the Pac-12′s top lineman.
Sewell opted out of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season on Sept. 7 with the intention of declaring for the NFL draft. Without Sewell, Oregon still finished 4-3, winning the Pac-12 championship game against USC and gaining a spot in the Fiesta Bowl.
