On Pro Football Focus’ list of the top 25 NFL players younger than 25, Lions Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown were both snubs.
In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions found gems on Day 1 (Penei Sewell. No. 7 overall) and Dy 2 (Amon-Ra St. Brown, fourth round, No. 112 overall). Both look to be key pieces of the future in Detroit.
St. Brown emerged late last season, producing among the best wide receivers in the league over the final six weeks. Sewell switched from right tackle to left tackle and back again around Taylor Decker’s finger injury, ultimately grading out (via Pro Football Focus) as one of the best right tackles in the league as a rookie-especially as a run blocker.
It’s fair to assume Sewell and St. Brown would make many lists of top young players around the NFL. But Pro Football Focus apparently missed that memo.
Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown both snubbed on PFF’s under-25 list
Pro Football Focus has come out with a list of the top-25 players in the NFL who are under 25 years old. Players had to still be under 25 when the 2022 season starts to qualify.
One yearly offseason tradition we have here at PFF is showing some love to the top young players in the NFL in the form of a top 25 players under 25 years of age. The cut-off for this list is that the players need to still be under 25 years old when the season begins. … This is more of an overall talent recognition and accomplishment list.”
Much of the list can’t be quarreled with, even if you could quarrel with the order. But it’s hard to see some on the list (Quinnen Williams, Patrick Surtain II…) as more deserving than Sewell, at least.
Sewell did draw one of nine honorable mentions, while St. Brown is nowhere to be found. But Sewell will turn 22 in October, so he’ll be eligible for this list from PFF three more times. A bet he makes it at some point feels like a good one. And as evidenced previously with St. Brown, he may take the snub pretty personally.