Detroit Lions right tackle Penei Sewell has established himself as one of the NFL’s best in his position over three seasons, a fact reinforced by his substantial contract extension this offseason.
Typically, being ranked No. 3 among the best players at his position wouldn’t be a cause for complaint, but Sewell’s placement in Pro Football Focus’s rankings has raised some concerns.
Sewell is ranked behind San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams (No. 1) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs. PFF’s Zoltan Buday justifies Sewell’s ranking by pointing to his 2023 pass-blocking grade.
Despite Sewell’s significant improvement in 2023, with a 95.1 run-blocking grade and a 92.8 overall grade that both led his position, his pass-blocking grade was outside the top 10, placing him third overall.
While it’s understandable to place Williams ahead of Sewell due to his long-standing elite performance, ranking Wirfs above Sewell is questionable based on last year’s statistics, which Buday uses for his rankings.
Wirfs had a better pass-blocking grade (84.3) compared to Sewell (78.1), but he also allowed four more sacks and four more pressures. Additionally, the gap between Sewell’s and Wirfs’ overall grades (90.7 to 81.1) and run-blocking grades (93.1 to 72.2) is substantial.
This isn’t to say that Wirfs isn’t an excellent tackle, especially considering he switched sides last season. However, the statistics do not support the notion that he outperformed Sewell.
