The Philadelphia Eagles should avoid Penei Sewell in the 2021 Draft
By David Esser
The Philadelphia Eagles would be wise to pass on Penei Sewell.
As I’m writing this, the Philadelphia Eagles are currently projected to have the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Should they lose on Sunday to Washington (they’re trotting out a preseason roster so they should), there’s a pretty likely chance that they scoot on up into the top five. While pretty much everyone in Eagles nation wants the team to select DeVonta Smith or Ja’Marr Chase, there’s a half-decent chance that the team could be staring at Oregon left tackle Penei Sewell when their name is on the clock – an offensive tackle prospect that most teams would kill to draft.
Normally, the idea of “drafting the best player available” is a pretty good thought process to have when it comes to the early rounds. The Eagles strayed from this philosophy in 2020 – selecting Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson due to perceived scheme fit – and it came back to bite them hard this past regular season. While I’m personally a huge believer in the process of simply drafting the best player on the board and figuring out the rest later, I’m adamant that the Eagles show avoid Sewell like it’s the plague on draft night.
Disclaimer: this is not a knock on Sewell. For all intents and purposes he looks like a legitimately elite offensive line prospect, and one that will likely be an NFL starter for 10+ years. However, when it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles and what their specific needs are, offensive tackle ranks towards the bottom.
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The Eagles saw some historically bad offensive line play in 2020, but it was of little fault to their offensive tackles. Andre Dillard never played a snap due to a biceps tear, Lane Johnson battled an ankle injury all season long (played fine when he was active), Jordan Mailata was more than serviceable in a starting role at LT, and Jack Driscoll showed some promise when asked to rotate in. The Eagles poor O-Line play was primarily a result of injuries and horrific guard play, things that Sewell wouldn’t inherently fix (neither Sewell, Dillard, or Mailata have good interior profiles).
As much as Sewell would be an upgrade over Mailata and Dillard when it comes to simply playing left tackle in 2021, the team has to eventually start committing to some of the players already on their roster. Dillard is under team control for the next three years, Johnson the next four, Driscoll the next three, and Mailata through 2021. While Sewell is probably already better than all of the guys I just listed, it’s definitely not a position that the team has a *glaring* need at.
On the flip side, the Philadelphia Eagles do have a glaring need at WR, CB, and LB. Any three of these positions could be filled longterm with the team’s first-round pick this year, and it would be a borderline malpractice to not do so. Good offensive line play doesn’t matter if the quarterback has no-one to throw the ball to, or if the defense allows 30 points a game.
If the Eagles really aren’t sold on someone like Ja’Marr Chase or Micah Parsons in the first-round, the decision to *trade back* with Sewell still on the board could prove to be incredibly profitable as well. Like I mentioned previously, there are plenty of NFL teams that would give up an arm and a leg for someone of Sewell’s projection, and the Eagles could demand a haul in return for their pick (should Sewell still be available).
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Ultimately speaking, I understand the initial thought process of wanting someone like Sewell. Dillard is a compete unknown and Mailata is only so good, Sewell would be an immediate upgrade over both for the next decade. However, the Eagles are just not in a good position to add another offensive tackle to their roster. They’ve been neglecting the skill positions for a few years now, and desperately need to add a starter at receiver, corner, or linebacker. As good as Sewell projects to be, the Eagles simply need to go a different route.