The Detroit Lions’ original draft selections did not fall into their hands this time around, as Pro Football Focus has revealed the NFL re-draft for 2021. In the first round, the Lions selected offensive tackle Penei Sewell at No. 7 overall, and it was an excellent choice, but in this re-draft situation, they had to choose a new choice.
Penei Sewell was taken early in the re-draft, going to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 5 overall. Pro Football Focus reports that Sewell has performed as good as expected since joining the NFL, with an outstanding career grade of 90.8. Since wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was not available in this re-draft, the Bengals selected the strong tackle to guard their starting quarterback, Joe Burrow.
Sewell has been an essential member of the Lions’ offensive line since joining the team, thus it is disappointing that they were unable to acquire him.
Miami Acquires St. Brown
Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who was initially selected by Detroit in the fourth round, shot all the way up to No. 6 overall in the re-draft and ended up with the Miami Dolphins, adding insult to injury for Lions supporters. Over the last two years, Pro Football Focus’s receiver rankings have placed St. Brown in the top five, demonstrating his explosive ascent through the ranks of the game.The Lions had to search elsewhere since St. Brown was off the field
Christian Darrisaw: A Worthy Solace Award
The Lions were “forced” to settle with Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw at No. 7 overall in this redraft as both Sewell and St. Brown were gone. Even if missing out on Sewell hurts, Darrisaw is still a pretty good choice. With an impressive career grade of 92.4 and a spot among the league’s top blockers the last two seasons, he has truly emerged as one of the NFL’s best tackles. The Lions still have a strong starter to lead their offensive line, even though it is not Sewell.
Alim McNeill Breaks The Initial Phas
In a further twist, the Las Vegas Raiders selected defensive tackle Alim McNeill of the Lions with the 17th overall choice in the re-draft. McNeill recently inked a 4-year contract extension with Detroit. The Lions originally selected McNeill in the third round, and he has since emerged as one of the best interior defensive lineman in the league. According to Pro Football Focus, McNeill was the eighth-best inner defender in 2023.
After making the error of selecting Alex Leatherwood with the No. 17 pick, the Raiders acquired McNeill to strengthen their defensive line.
2023 Alim McNeill’s Detroit Lions Hype Video
Takeaways from the Lions’ Re-Draft
Despite losing out on their initial studs, such as Sewell and St. Brown, the Lions still acquired a good pick in Darrisaw according to Pro Football Focus’ re-draft. Furthermore, McNeill’s explosive rise into the first round supports the idea that the Lions’ recent approach to scouting and draft selections has been spot on. The Lions still have core players coming out of the re-draft, demonstrating the depth of quality in their selection class, even though it may not feel as good to settle for Darrisaw as it would have felt to keep Sewell or St. Brown.
