Tag: Brad Holmes

Detroit Lions RT Penei Sewell has found a ‘forever’ home

Signed 4-year, $112 million contract extension

ALLEN PARK — For Penei Sewell, it’s a long way from the beaches of American Samoa to becoming the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL.

The Detroit Lions right tackle, a two-time Pro Bowler, signed a four-year, $112 million extension last week.

“I just had a picture that I wanted to play in the NFL, that’s always been a dream of mine but to be where I am right now, it’s just surreal to me,’’ Sewell said at a Monday press conference. “I don’t think it’s hit. I cried just like draft day when I found out. It happened a lot sooner than I thought.’’

He said if he was still in Samoa he’d probably be a farmer. 

“It’s a simple life out there, it’s beautiful but I always knew I wanted more,’’ said Sewell, a first-round pick out of Oregon in 2021.

As a kid he played football on the beach using a water bottle filled with sand and water.

“Thinking about all those times on the beach playing with my friends and cousins and how far I’ve truly come. I don’t like to think about it too much because I’m still trying to go places. It’s crazy, man. From not having a real football to playing in the League. I still don’t touch the football,’’ he said as an aside. “I’m very thankful for those moments because it truly built who I am today.’’

Sewell was wearing leis over his sweatshirt on Monday.

“Shoutout to Brad for this one, that’s my guy. He blessed me with the leis right before I got in here,’’ Sewell said. “That right there goes a long way from me, just those little gestures of him trying to understand where I’m from and understand the culture and know how much it meant to me.’’

Sewell, who is 23, sounds like a man who is at peace with his life in Detroit. He lives here in the offseason with his wife and daughter and could see it being his “forever home.”

One thing he’s not at peace with is the loss to San Francisco in the NFC Championship in January. 

“Honestly, I’ve watched that game a lot. I let it burn because of how close we were,’’ said Sewell, estimating that he’s seen it 10 times.

He and Amon-Ra St. Brown, who also signed an extension last week, have talked about hoisting the Lombardi trophy. It’s a long way from American Samoa, but for Sewell it does not seem unrealistic after all he’s accomplished so far.

Detroit Lions add interior OL depth, draft Christian Mahogany in sixth round

Holmes: ‘He’s got some dirtbag in him’

ALLEN PARK — The Detroit Lions added depth to the offensive line with their final pick in the NFL draft by taking Christian Mahogany (Boston College) in the sixth round (210 overall).

Mahogany, who is 6-foot-3 and 314 pounds, was first team all-ACC in 2023 when he started 12 games at right guard.

Lions GM Brad Holmes said he was shocked Mahogany was available so late in the draft and would not speculate why he dropped. NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein had projected him as a fourth-round pick.

“He fits how we want to play,’’ Holmes said. “… He’s got some dirtbag in him.’’

Mahogany takes that as a compliment.

“It’s something I really pride myself on. … I look forward to bringing it to the National Football League,’’ Mahogany said on a conference call on Saturday.

He’s thrilled to be selected by the Lions who have one of the top offensive lines in the League. He wants to be a sponge and learn from the best.

Mahogany is the first interior lineman that the Lions have ever drafted from Boston College.

Zierlein on Mahogany: “Big and powerful but lacking the leverage and body control needed to play a more consistent brand of football. Mahogany’s early tape was very problematic due to shoddy footwork caused by a poor stance, but he made a midseason self-correction that led to better tape later in the year. He doesn’t have the short-area movements to be a consistent pass protector against NFL sub-packages, but the hand usage and punch are good. Mahogany is a downhill mauler who needs to continue technique work but also needs to play for a team that values the big power players and allows them to do what they do best in the run game. He has a chance to be a backup with upside early in his career.’’

Mahogany was the Lions final pick in the draft which set a record with more than 700,000 fans over three days in Detroit.

Lions 2024 draft picks:

First round — CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama

Second round — CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr, Missouri

Fourth round — OL Giovanni Manu, British Columbia

Fourth round — RB/ST Sione Vaki, Utah

Sixth round — DT Mekhi Wingo, LSU

Sixth round — G Christian Mahogany, Boston College

Detroit Lions draft CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in second round

ALLEN PARK — The Detroit Lions added another cornerback when they selected Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (Missouri) in the second round (61st overall) of the NFL Draft in Detroit on Friday night. The Lions drafted CB Terrion Arnold (Alabama) in the first round on Thursday night.

By taking Arnold and Rakestraw, the Lions have now selected a cornerback with their first two picks of a given draft for the first time in the Super Bowl era.

“We didn’t go into it saying we were going to get two corners in the first two rounds,” GM Brad Holmes said on Friday night. It worked out because they were the best players available, adding that he wouldn’t reach for a corner.

The Lions also acquired veteran corners Amik Robertson and Carlton Davis in the offseason, boosting the competition level.

“It’s a bloodbath in there now. It is and that’s what makes everything better,’’ Holmes said. “It makes the room better, it makes the defense better, makes the team better. Competition brings the best out of everybody.

Rakestraw said during a conference call that the two actually made their top 30 visits to the Lions at the same time. The two SEC corners had met and got along when they were working out at the NFL Combine. He said the two of them can be a force to be reckoned with in Detroit’s future.

Rakestraw, the 61st overall pick, played in nine games last season (his redshirt junior year) with eight starts at Missouri. In his four seasons at Missouri, he had one interception, 24 pass deflections and 107 total tackles.

Rakestraw, who is 5-11 and 183 pounds, has told reporters he was born with a chip on his shoulder. He was always told he was too small but they didn’t know how big his heart was. He was once turned away for an offseason camp during high school because he was too small. That snub drove him harder to work on his craft. In his senior year of high school he weighted 154 pounds.

“I’m in the best fit for me as possible. I’m going to prove the Lions are right and everybody else is wrong,” Rakestraw said.

Holmes said the two corners have different personalities. 

“Ennis is actually different. You feel the confidence. Me and Dan (Campbell) sitting there talking to him, I felt ‘dog’ exuding out of him,’’ Holmes said. “(He’s) a lot more quiet, to the point, to the business, not as loud and a vivid personality like Terrion.

“We’re just thrilled cause they’re all the same in terms of they both fit us like a glove, they’re both gritty, physical, they’re both challenge mentality guys,’’ Holmes added.

Lance Zierlein, analyst for NFL.com, on Rakestraw:  “He plays the game with good physicality and a competitive tilt that defensive back coaches will enjoy. He’s strong but not as big or fast as teams usually like when picking within the first three rounds of the draft. However, he’s hard-nosed in press and has the body control and anticipation to play a sticky brand of man coverage over the first two levels.’’

He was projected as a second-round pick.

“He’s quicker than fast and does a nice job of breaking quickly on throws in front of him with well-timed challenges to knock the ball free. He intercepted only one pass during his college career, which could be a concern, but his willingness and toughness in run support work in his favor. Rakestraw could become a good backup with eventual starter potential in the right scheme,’’ Zierlein reported.

Rakestraw was the only Lions’ pick on Friday. 

Saturday is the third and final day of the 2024 NFL Draft with rounds 4-7 starting at noon. The Lions have a fifth-round pick (164 overall), two sixth-round picks (201, 205) and a seventh-round (249).