Notes: Penei Sewell makes PFF top 101 players of 2021

In an era of Detroit football where you’re not likely to see a Lion make a top list of anything, Penei Sewell sure has made his mark.

The offensive tackle and seventh overall pick landed on the PFF Top 101, which features the best 101 individual performances—no matter the position.

Finishing with an overall PFF grade of 82.4, Sewell came in at No. 66.

“Asked to play both left and right tackle during the season, Sewell earned an 84.5 run-blocking grade and surrendered 35 pressures in total,” PFF’s Sam Monson writes. “He had some poor games but offset them with dominant ones at a position that typically takes time to adjust to in the NFL.”

Despite some hiccups here and there, Sewell has been praised for his performance throughout the season. In 2021, he posted the best PFF run blocking grade of any rookie offensive tackle in the past 12 years at 85.1. He was the king of all-rookie teams, including PFF’s list, the Pro Football Writers of America’s, and Sports Info Solutions’ squad.

And onto the rest of your notes.

• With the draft order officially set, NFL.com’s Chad Reuter predicts the Detroit Lions will look for some talent behind center with pick 32.

• Talent recognize talent.

• “​​He climbed for a long time. He deserves to reach a peak.” There are mixed feelings about Stafford, but if you agree with that statement, Mitch Albom’s latest column for the Detroit Free Press is for you. ($)

• Another Freep piece to help you sort through your feelings about all this from Dave Birkett. “It’s OK to be mad at the Lions, the organization that never showed the zeal it needed to win a Super Bowl despite, we now know, having a quarterback capable of winning one on its roster. It’s OK, too, to wonder what it all means for the future.” ($)

• A little Stafford anecdote some folks on Twitter are getting a kick out of.