As the Detroit Lions are preparing for the 2026 NFL training camps, their star tackle Penei Sewell received a negative assessment, which is drawing attention from Detroit Lions fans. And they are not happy about it. 

After making an analytical assessment of the Lions' star Penei Sewell, ESPN’s Mike Clay has sparked another debate by defending his assessment of ranking Sewell as the 10th-best-tackle and the Motor City team’s offensive line as 19th among the 32 teams. 

“Lions fans big mad but Sewell was 36th percentile in pass block win rate last season,” Clay wrote on X. “He still rates very well, but that’s enough to knock his rating enough to put him behind a few guys at one of the most competitive positions (LT).”

But why has this assessment sparked a debate?

The answer lies in the approach to assessment. Clay uses ESPN's Pass Block Win Rate (PBWR) data tracking to arrive at a consensus, whereas organizations like Pro Football Focus prioritize ‌on-field results.

Per Clay’s assessment, Sewell was placed in the 36th percentile league-wide, and based on the mathematical calculations, it was not good. 

Means tracking algorithms saw him "lose" in under 2.5s more often than 64% of other NFL tackles.

But when it comes to PFF, Sewell played 998 offensive snaps where his pass block grade was 80.3 and run block grade was 96.7. 

For his performance in the last season, he earned a PFF grade of 95.1 and ranked 1st out of 89 qualified OTs.

Hence, the difference is obvious: one uses mathematics with tracking chips, and the other uses mathematics with gameplay tapes.

Clay claims that it's not him who is criticizing Sewell but his own stats. But clearly the fans were not taking it that way.

NFL fans rally behind Penei Sewell after ESPN ranking

Not everyone was pleased with ESPN analyst Mike Clay's assessment of the performance of Detroit Lions star Penei Sewell. 

As his comment surfaced on social media, it received a strong reaction from his fans.

One fan challenged the rankings directly, writing, “I don’t think it’s just one fanbase or another. I like you as an analyst, but I don’t think you did a very good job on these rankings.” The reaction suggested the disagreement extended beyond Lions supporters and into the broader NFL community.

Others talked statistically, pointing to Sewell’s resume as evidence that the ranking did not add up.

“So you’re right, and the All-Pro voters, PFF Top 100, etc. are wrong?” one fan asked, while another added, “Curious as to why he's won All-Pro for 3 straight seasons if that's the case...” Both comments highlighted Sewell’s consistent recognition from league voters and analysts alike.

Some fans also questioned the methodology behind the evaluation used by Mike Clay altogether. 

“And how do you come up with these stats? Who would every team pick for a starting LT right now in all of the NFL if they could? Sewell would be 1 or 2, and you know that.”

Another fan dismissed the analytics entirely, writing, “I do not care about one of the most undercooked stats in all of football this is the best lineman of our generation that you're calling fringe top 10.”

The backing received by Sewell ahead of the 2026 NFL season shows how much faith the fans have in him and his value on the roster.

Read more at the Detroit Lions Community!

Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker