Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
Getty
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes are getting pushback after a report from a former player.
The Detroit Lions aren’t trading superstar right tackle Penei Sewell, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be on the move this offseason.
Jason LaCanfora of Sportsboom noted Wednesday, April 1 the frequency with which Lions brass has discussed flipping Sewell from the right side of the line to a new position at left tackle, and what that says about both the 2026 NFL draft class and what Detroit will try to accomplish with the No. 17 pick in Round 1.
“Campbell has talked openly lately about moving Sewell to left tackle; that’s being interpreted by some of his peers as a nod to the lack of strength at left tackle in this draft and perhaps an indication of finding a plug-and-play right tackle from college,” LaCanfora wrote.
DraftKings currently handicaps Detroit’s first-round pick as an offensive lineman with odds of minus-175, a figure indicating it is far more likely the Lions will bolster the O-line with the 17th pick than not.
“It’s gotta be an offensive lineman,” an unnamed general manager told LaCanfora. “It seems pretty obvious to us.”
Kadyn Proctor of Alabama has mid-first-round value, according to most national mock drafts, and he is who LaCanfora mentioned as the player the Lions are most likely to target.
Lions Must Replace Departed Left Tackle Taylor Decker
Taylor Decker
GettyFormer Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker.
Field Yates of ESPN predicted Detroit to draft Proctor in his most recent mock.
Left tackle is a sizable need for Detroit with the departure of Taylor Decker after 10 seasons. Proctor is a sizable answer to the problem — literally — at 6-7, 352 pounds. He has power when he gets his hands on defenders in the running game as well.
Proctor’s tape had up-and-down moments during his final college season, as sometimes his foot quickness was overmatched by edge-rushers. But the upside is immense for the 20-year-old left tackle, who started all 40 games he appeared in at Alabama.
Proctor’s experience on the left side could allow him to develop into the role at an NFL level over a year or two.
Lions May Be Better Off Leaving Penei Sewell at Right Tackle
Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions
GettyDetroit Lions right tackle Penei Sewell.
In the meantime, the Lions can try sliding Sewell, the team’s $112 million All-Pro, over to protect quarterback Jared Goff’s blindside. However, offensive line experts assert that transitioning from right to left tackle is not so simple as the uninitiated often make it sound.
Hence, the risk Detroit will take if it selects either a right tackle, or a prospective left tackle who may not be ready to play the position at a high level right away.
Perhaps the 2026 prospect with the highest ceiling as a left tackle in Monroe Freeling of Georgia. ESPN’s Matt Miller sent Freeling to the Lions in his latest mock, which came out this week.
“Decker’s release leaves an opening at left tackle barring a move from Penei Sewell from the right side. Either way, the Lions need tackle help,” Miller wrote. “Freeling was a one-year starter at Georgia but has elite traits in terms of movement, size (6-foot-7, 315 pounds) and 4.93 speed. Freeling is one of the few proven left tackles with a Round 1 grade and has the upside of a higher-end starter thanks to his upper-level athletic skills plus his development over the course of the 2025 season.”
Who the Lions select may come down to which players are available to them midway through Round 1, as offensive tackle is a need for several franchises picking before Detroit, including the Cleveland Browns (6th), Kansas City Chiefs (9th) and even the Los Angeles Rams (13th).