NFL Scouting Report: OT Penei Sewell (Oregon)

PSO’s original Scouting Reports strive to be uniquely valuable in evaluating a player’s future outlook by focusing on the four main subjects that summarize a player’s likelihood of succeeding at the next level including: Natural Physical Tools, College Game Film, proven Production, and overall Risk that each individual player presents to a team drafting him. For a full breakdown of PSO’s Scouting Reports, click here.

Bio

Pos: OT

Hometown: Malaeimi, American Samoa

School: Oregon

Class: Junior

DOB: 10/9/2000 (20)

Height: 6’5″ (30%) | Weight: 331 lbs (90%)

Hands: 10.38” (78%) | Arms: 33.25” (22%)

Bench: 30 reps (89%) | 40-YD: 5.09s (75%)

Interesting Facts

2019 Outland, Morris Award winner; consensus All-American, All-Pac 12 1st-Team
Allowed just 1 sack, 15 pressures over 1,376 career snaps at LT
Never allowed more than 2 pressures in a single game
PFF’s Top-ranked OT in 2019 — 95.8 overall grade
Opted out of 2020 season after 21 career games

Physical Tools

Pros

Thickly-built frame — 6’4.87″, 331 lbs
Powerful upper-body (30 bench reps — 89th %tile)
Lower-body explosion — 28″ vert (39th), 109″ broad (77th)
Quality agility (7.80s 3-cone — 49th)
Big, strong hands (10.38″ — 78th)
Balance and strength throughout his frame
4-star recruit, 7th-ranked OL in 2018

Cons

Relatively short arms — 33.25″ (22nd)

Grade: A

Game Film

Pros

Athleticism shows up consistently at the 2nd level
Incredibly smooth and fluid feet — gains great depth in pass sets
Outstanding anchor strength; heavy, powerful hands
Mobility and quickness masked his average length
Superb processor, especially in pass protection
Keeps his head on a swivel to catch stunts, lead for screens
Quality punch timing and placement
Really effective getting out front and blocking for screens
Dominated each rusher thrown his way
Capable of mirroring DL, EDGE, LBs, and DBs alike

Cons

Quick-strike, screen-heavy scheme limited 1-on-1 reps
Didn’t see many NFL-caliber EDGE talents
Lunges/leans with his punches a bit too often which won’t work as well in NFL

Grade: A

Production

Pros

2019 Outland & Morris Award winner, consensus All-American, 1st-Team All-Pac 12
Just 15 total pressures, 1 single sack allowed over his 2 seasons (0 in 2019)
2.1% career pressure rate, never allowed more than 2 in a game
Terrific as a freshman (84.0 overall grade — ranked 6th) and only improved
All 1,376 career snaps came at LT (21 games)
95.8 overall PFF grade in 2019 ranked 1st among all FBS OTs
Elite PFF grades — 95.7 run block, 91.1 pass block, 86.7 true pass sets, 95.7 zone blocking

Cons

Only 21 career games, 1.5-year starter
71.8 gap blocking grade is by far his worst mark

Grade: A

Risk

Pros

Touted as a “generational prospect”
Outstanding frame (6’4.87″, 331 lbs) and athleticism
Mauler mentality of an IOL (recruited as an OG)
Great processing skills despite a lack of experience
Terrific balance, power, and functional strength
Allowed only 1 single sack over 1,372 career snaps
Elite 2-year PFF grading profile
Will be just 20 years old on Draft Day
NFL bloodline — uncles Isaac Sopoaga and Richard Brown

Cons

Could use some punch/technical refinements
Relatively short arms (33.25″) aren’t great for stopping NFL DL
Suffered ankle injury in 2018
No 2020 film after opting out

Grade: A

Overall

A ridiculously athletic, 6’5″, 330-pound Samoan native, Penei Sewell is an impressive physical specimen. Moving to Utah as a preteen, Sewell has football in his blood — two uncles played in the NFL, and all three brothers are currently D-1. Recruited as a 4-star OG, Sewell was the 7th-ranked OL in 2018 and quickly earned playing time as a freshman OT, recording a terrific overall PFF grade of 84 before suffering an ankle injury.

Blossoming after his recovery, Sewell absolutely stonewalled Oregon’s left side with LG Shane Lemieux. Allowing just 7 total pressures over nearly 1,000 snaps, not a single defender got through for a sack. Due in large part to his superb natural athleticism and power, his production can also be attributed to some sound footwork, hand technique, and a very high motor.

Scouts haven’t seen him in a game since he was 19 years old, but the level at which he was playing at that point already slotted him among CFB’s best OL. Given an entire year of focused training, it’ll be exciting to see how much he’s grown during his time away from the field. His lone flaw would be relatively short arms, which has led him to lean or lunge a bit too often. Rather, the uber-athletic, 330-pound behemoth seems to only be scratching the surface of his abilities, regardless of whether he remains at OT.

Pro Comp: OT Trent Williams (San Francisco 49ers)

Projected Round: Top-10 Pick

Prime Destinations: ATL, CIN, MIA, DET, CAR

OVERALL Grade: A