Ranking the 25 best Oregon Ducks since 2000: No. 12 — Penei Sewell
Since 2000, Oregon has compiled an overall record of 239-83 (.742), with just two losing seasons during that span. They've been to 24 bowl games, won three Rose Bowls, been to a pair of College Football Playoffs, and appeared in two National Championships. They've seen a Heisman Trophy winner in Marcus Mariota and had 99 players selected in the NFL Draft.
It's safe to say that when looking at the nation's best in this millennium, Oregon belongs in the conversation. But who are the players who helped get Nike University into that conversation? That's a different question entirely.
To celebrate the quarter-century mark, we're going to dive into that question over the next month as we approach the start of the 2025 season. The Ducks have had hundreds of memorable and beloved players over the years, many of whom will live on forever in some way.
But who is the best of the best?
That answer, of course, is subjective. When reviewing the numbers and conducting our research, we took several factors into account: career statistics, overall impact and success, legacy, fan adoration, and NFL success.
Boiling 25 years of Oregon football down to 25 players is no easy task, and not one that we took lightly. Dozens of players were left on the cutting room floor who deserve a spot in the top 25, and at some point, subtracting names off the list started to feel like pulling teeth. But in the end, we were left with 25 players, whom we will honor over the next few weeks.
If you want to catch up, let's take a look at how we've gotten to where we're at in the rankings:
Today, let's continue with No. 12 — the massive offensive lineman Penei Sewell.
Player Overview
It could be argued that Penei Sewell is the best offensive lineman ever to put on a Duck uniform. He just played two seasons thanks to the 2020 pandemic, but for the 2018-19 seasons, there wasn't a better offensive tackle in the country. He won award after award and led an offensive line group that protected Justin Herbert to a 12-2 record and a 28-27 win over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.
Penei Sewell Career Stats
21 games, allowed just one sack in 1,376 snaps
Best Single Season
2019: 14 games
Sewell's sophomore season saw the big 6-foot-6, 325-pounder come into his own and become one of the top O-linemen in the game. This is what Oregon envisioned when Sewell was recruited as the highest-rated lineman to commit to the Ducks. He went on to win the Outland Trophy as the best offensive lineman in the nation.
Penei Sewell NFL Draft
Sewell was the No. 7 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft and was taken by the Detroit Lions.
Penei Sewell NFL Success
This was the second time in the last quarter century that the Lions selected a Duck in the first round and, Sewell was an overwhelming success. It turns out he was the first step towards Detroit's successful rebuild over the past few years, which has seen them go from league doormats to Super Bowl contenders.
Sewell has been an absolute anchor on the Detroit offensive line, and if everything goes towards their current trajectory, he may have a Super Bowl ring sooner rather than later.
Penei Sewell's Lasting Legacy
It's hard to believe Sewell wasn't a Duck for very long ... just 21 games, but his legacy might be as big as his 6-foot-6 frame. He proved that elite offensive linemen don't have to go to the SEC in order to become a high NFL draft pick and succeed at the next level. Oregon can be a destination for players like him and still have the same accolades and recognition.
There might have been a Josh Conerly, Jr., or a Iapani Laloulu, or even an Isaiah World if it wasn't for the large footprints left behind by Penei Sewell.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Steelers legend James Harrison's wild interaction with K Chris Boswell resurfaces
A hilarious and frightening interaction between Steelers kicker Chris Boswell and legend James Harrison has begun to resurface and make waves on social media. The viral story in question is from a January episode of The Christian Kuntz Podcast, where Boswell revealed how his first interactions with Harrison went. "I got to go home for the weekend and come back, and Deebo, my very first practice, stood over the holder," Boswell said. "So the holder's waiting to get a snap, standing over his shoulder, and [James Harrison says], 'I dare you to miss this kick. I dare you to miss it. You miss this kick, you wash my back in the shower.' "Even after, I obviously had a decent season that year, but team meeting room, when I used to go, I would sit here and Deebo would sit here — and he would just stare at me. Mike Tomlin's up there, giving his team presentation, and he's just staring at me like this the entire meeting. Just intimidating." As hilarious as Boswell's retelling of the story was, he admitted that the Steelers' kicking woes likely painted the positional group in a bad light — clearly in the crosshairs of Harrison, where no sane man wants to be. Harrison's intimidation may have helped create one of the best to ever do it, as Boswell has an opportunity to become the most accurate kicker in NFL history this season — just 1.1% behind former Ravens K Justin Tucker's 89.1% all-time record. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Oregon's Mason Neville experiences major fall in MLB Draft
Oregon Ducks star Mason Neville was one of college baseball's brightest stars this season. The 6-foot-3, left-handed outfielder was No. 35 overall prospect after tying for the NCAA lead with 26 home runs. But after the first day of the MLB draft, which included three rounds and 105 selections, Neville is still available. Coming into Sunday's draft, the Oregon slugger was viewed as an advanced college bat, but one who crushed fastballs and struggled with some of the off-speed stuff he saw from college arms. Here's what has to say about him, in part, as a prospect: "Neville has long intrigued scouts with his overall athleticism and offensive potential from the left side of the plate, reminding some from his high school days of a young Cody Bellinger." "The raw power is very real, and a year after hitting 16 homers with a 33.5 percent strikeout rate, Neville has jumped up boards by greatly cutting down his swing-and-miss, allowing him to get to that pop even more consistently for the 26 homers that tied for the NCAA Division I home run title." "He can drive the ball gap-to-gap with plenty of pull power. He punishes fastballs and still struggles against softer stuff, but scouts are much more bullish overall that the bat will play at the next level." In total, the Ducks did not have a player drafted, but class of 2025 Oregon signee Taitn Gray was selected No. 92 overall by the Tampa Bay Rays. Day 2 should prove to be a much better day for the program, as Rounds 4-20 should see 5-6 Ducks hear their names called.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Is Jared Goff underrated? Lions embracing their ‘not too flashy' QB as offense shifts out of Ben Johnson's hands
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Amon-Ra St. Brown understands the public perception. The wide receiver doesn't agree with it, but he doesn't expect it to change. Jared Goff, the 2016 first overall draft pick whom the Los Angeles Rams would later trade to the Detroit Lions, is underrated. St. Brown believes it. 'I think he's been underrated his whole career and I don't think that'll ever go away,' St. Brown told Yahoo Sports from training camp practice. 'You look at a guy like Josh Allen: He's big, can run, crazy arm strength. You look at a guy like Lamar [Jackson]: fast, one of the best running quarterbacks you've ever seen, does stuff on the field that only he can do. 'You look at Patrick Mahomes: His arm angles, the throws he makes, just unconventional, his ability to win big games.' And Goff? 'You look at a guy like Jared, I mean he's not too flashy,' St. Brown says of his quarterback. 'But he's consistent.' [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Goff's consistency led the Lions to a 15-2, best-in-NFC record last season. The Lions hope Goff's consistency will help them transition from Ben Johnson, their offensive coordinator and play-caller the prior three seasons, to now-OC John Morton. They'll hope Goff can maintain consistency even as the quarterback and his linemen re-divide protection calls in the wake of four-time Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow's retirement. Last year, Goff's consistency proved potent. While he may not have dominated highlight reels to pace Jackson, Allen or Mahomes, Goff did put up numbers that were both his career-best marks and also challenged his counterparts for best in the league. Only Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow topped Goff's 4,629 passing yards, and only Jackson surpassed his 111.8 passer rating. Goff's 37 total touchdown passes ranked fourth overall, while his 54.7% success rate (a metric that awards players who on first down gain at least 40% of yards to go; on second at least 60%; and on third and fourth 100%) was best in the league. 'The game has slowed down for him, from a protection standpoint,' Morton told Yahoo Sports. 'Being in Year 3 in the offense, you should be hitting on all cylinders, and that's what he was doing last year.' Under Morton, the goal is to recapture that magic. Morton returns to the staff he served on in 2022 looking to accentuate his players' matchups and skill sets, with extra emphasis on teaching the offense from the quarterback's perspective. Morton wants all of his offensive players to learn the quarterback responsibilities even if they won't all have to act on that knowledge. He wants skill players to understand when they're facing man defense and when it's zone; when to anticipate one high safety and when it's two. 'Not every receiver can do that, but the great ones I've been around — they see it just like the quarterback,' Morton said. 'The game slows down for them and they play free.' That quarterback perspective, paired with technician-level routes, have helped make St. Brown 'trustworthy' to Goff, Morton said. [Get more Lions news: Detroit team feed] Morton is implementing his wrinkles into the game plan while offensive line coach Hank Fraley continues to carry run game coordinator responsibilities. How will the two backgrounds mesh? 'In Johnny's background, he likes to throw the ball,' left tackle Taylor Decker told Yahoo Sports. 'That's kind of what the league has been going toward recently. But us, the Lions, we run the ball a lot. We run the ball a lot on third down, third-and-long. We go for it on fourth down a lot. So we have that luxury. 'I think the bulk of what you're going to see that's different with him is his pass-game route concepts. But still there are things that we've been good at here.' Things at which the Lions have been good and Goff has been good. Lions teammates and coaches look at Goff and, in some ways, believe in him for the same reasons others don't. That unassuming, unflappable, not-spectacular-to-a-point-that's-almost-spectacular quarterback of theirs? 'He is a superstar, but he's not a diva,' Decker said. 'And I say that endearingly, in a positive light: He's just like a regular guy.' And one destined, the Lions believe, to be perpetually underrated. A club that leans into its underdog mentality wouldn't have it any other way. 'I feel like he's always going to be underrated no matter what he does,' St. Brown said. 'Even if he wins the Super Bowl MVP, there's still going to be people saying stuff. 'I think that's what gets him going. And I love that for him.'
