When the Cincinnati Bengals were on the clock with the fifth pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Penei Sewell assumed he knew what was coming.

“You get that gut feeling that something big is about to happen — like you’re about to get that phone call,” Sewell told the Detroit Free Press. “But the call never came.”

Instead of choosing Sewell, the Bengals selected wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, pairing him back up with his former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow. Chase went on to become one of the NFL’s top receivers, while the Detroit Lions — who grabbed Sewell at No. 7 — ended up landing one of the league’s premier offensive tackles.

Looking back, Sewell believes everything turned out perfectly.