The Detroit Lions may have fallen short of the playoffs during the 2025 NFL season, but Penei Sewell still stood above the rest. The star right tackle was named Pro Football Focus (PFF) 2025 Protector of the Year, an honor awarded to the league’s top offensive lineman in pass protection and overall performance.

The announcement sparked debate among NFL fans, particularly those from playoff teams who felt their own offensive linemen were overlooked. Somewhat surprisingly, Sewell himself echoed that sentiment.

“It wasn’t my best ball. It was far from that,” Sewell admitted following the conclusion of the Lions’ 2025 season.

PFF Grades Tell a Different Story

Despite Sewell’s modest self-assessment, PFF’s data strongly supports his selection. Sewell finished the season with a league-best 95.2 overall grade, leading all offensive linemen. He also recorded the most positively graded plays among offensive tackles.

Overall grade: 95.2 (No. 1 among all OL)

Run-blocking grade: 96.8

Pass-blocking grade: 80.3

Sewell’s 96.8 run-blocking grade is the highest by any right tackle in the past five seasons and trails only Trent Williams’ 97.8 mark in 2021 among all offensive linemen.

Pass Protection Still Elite

While critics point to Sewell’s pass-blocking grade ranking 11th among offensive tackles, context matters. He ranked second among right tackles, trailing only Philadelphia Eagles veteran Lane Johnson.

Even more impressive, Sewell allowed pressure on just 3.3% of pass plays, a career best that ranked:

2nd among right tackles

5th among all offensive tackles

Consistency, Durability, and Leadership

Beyond the numbers, Sewell’s value to the Lions extends well beyond the stat sheet. Teammates consistently praise his leadership, toughness, and reliability. During the final weeks of the season, Sewell played through an ankle injury and missed only a few snaps during Detroit’s Christmas Day game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Remarkably, Sewell has missed just two games in five NFL seasons, underscoring his durability at one of football’s most physically demanding positions.

Beating Out Elite Competition

PFF ranked Sewell ahead of several high-profile candidates, including:

Creed Humphrey (Kansas City Chiefs)

Garrett Bolles (Denver Broncos)

That company alone highlights the level of Sewell’s performance, regardless of team record.

Looking Ahead to 2026

If Sewell believes his 2025 campaign was a “down year,” the rest of the NFL may want to brace itself. With elite production, durability, and leadership already established, Penei Sewell entering the 2026 season could reach an even higher level—a frightening thought for opposing defenses.