Oregon football: Potential landing spots for Penei Sewell in 2021 NFL Draft
By John Buhler
Pick Analysis. (No. 2). 4. 30. Scouting Report. AFC East. New York Jets. player
If Sam Darnold is the answer for Robert Saleh at quarterback, get him some help
Like the Eagles, the New York Jets are a bit of a dark horse contender to pick Sewell inside of the top 10 of the 2021 NFL Draft, albeit for totally different reasons. With the Eagles, it is all about banking on the five teams picking ahead of them going in a different direction. As for the Jets, it is all about whether they believe they can win games with Sam Darnold as their franchise quarterback?
Should new head coach Robert Saleh believe he can get the most out of Darnold like his predecessors Adam Gase and Todd Bowles could not, Gang Green may hold steady at No. 2 and take the second-best prospect in the draft, behind only Trevor Lawrence going No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Keep in mind that the Jets could be a potential trade-back candidate as well.
While most pundits expect the Jets to take either Justin Fields out of Ohio State or Zach Wilson out of BYU with their second overall selection, there is a chance they roll with Darnold for one more season and draft Sewell out of Oregon instead. The Jets already invested in the offensive line last year with Mekhi Becton out of Louisville. Together, they can be a strength for this rebuilding team.
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. NFC South. (No. 4). Atlanta Falcons. 3. player. 44
New head coach Arthur Smith is a former offensive lineman
What makes the Atlanta Falcons such an interesting team to follow throughout the draft process is we do not know what direction the new coaching staff and front office want to go in. While many pundits want to draft Matt Ryan’s replacement now, he was a big reason new head coach Arthur Smith took the job in the first place. So let’s say they do not go quarterback at No. 4 overall.
Instead of taking a player like Fields or Wilson at No. 4, or even reaching for a guy like Trey Lance out of North Dakota State, how about drafting a player who can come in and make a huge difference right away? Sewell could start opposite of Jake Matthews at right tackle, allowing Kaleb McGary to kick inside and play guard opposite of his 2019 NFL Draft classmate Chris Lindstrom.
Not only will the Falcons get better in the trenches by adding a player of Sewell’s caliber in the draft, but it should be noted that Smith was a former offensive lineman at North Carolina. Being ferocious in the trenches served Smith in his two-year run as the Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator. It might end up serving him right away by taking Sewell at No. 4.