Oregon
Former Oregon Football Star Penei Sewell Rated Best NFL Offensive Lineman: Super Bowl Contenders?
As we get closer to 2024 NFL training camps, preseason rankings are dominating the sports news in Detroit with former Oregon Ducks lineman, Penei Sewell leading the way. He has been a dominant force dating back to his days when he anchored the offensive line for the Oregon Ducks and is now recognized as the highest rated lineman in the NFL. In addition, his Lions’ offensive line is also best in the NFL.
Sewell’s full college resume is far too long for inclusion here, but several of his accomplishments stand out. He was the first Polynesian, first sophomore offensive lineman and first Duck to win the Outland Trophy. Sewell joined LaMichael James (2010) and Marcus Mariota (2014) as the only Oregon players to be unanimous first-team All-Americans.
He finished his sophomore campaign as the top-graded offensive lineman in Pro Football Focus (PFF) history (since 2014). Sewell allowed just one sack over 1,376 snaps in two seasons as a Duck, and Oregon went 17-3 in the two seasons with him in the starting lineup.
Sewell opted out of his junior year in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was Detroit’s 7th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. To no one’s surprise, his dominance has continued into the NFL. Sewell has allowed just three sacks over the past two seasons with the Lions, per PFF. Sewell has also earned back-to-back Pro Bowl honors and was named a 2023 first-team All-Pro.
As a result of his stellar play, the Lions and Sewell have agreed to terms on a four-year, $112 million contract extension that includes $85 million guaranteed, keeping him under contract through the 2029 season after factoring in Sewell’s fifth-year option, according to NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo. The $28 million in new-money average over four years makes Sewell the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL, besting Laremy Tunsil’s $25 million per year mark.
Twin falls, Idaho, during warm up before the NFC championship game against San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
Of course, Sewell is not the only highly ranked lineman in Detroit. PFF offered this rationale in naming Detroit’s line best in the NFL.
“When healthy, the Lions’ offensive line was arguably the best unit in the NFL last season. Right tackle was the league’s highest-graded offensive lineman, and earned the top spot among centers. The Lions only loss through free agency was right guard, Jonah Jackson. In response, Detroit signed veteran guard, Kevin Zeitler, who ranked 15th in PFFs grade among guards in 2023.”
In fact, all of Detroit’s 2024 projected starters rank in the top 15 at their respective positions.
LT: Taylor Decker — 81.1 (9th out of 81 offensive tackles ranked)
LG: Graham Glasgow — 74.9 (8th out of 79 offensive guards ranked)
C: Frank Ragnow — 88.8 (1st out of 36 centers ranked)
RG: Kevin Zeitler — 71.6 (15th out of 79 offensive guards ranked)
RT: Penei Sewell — 92.8 (1st out of 81 offensive tackles ranked)
Sewell is without a doubt the leader of this elite unit and has impressed coach Dan Campbell with his work ethic and attitude.
“I can’t say enough great things about Sewell,” Campbell said. “He’s our foundation. He’s one of those pillars that we talk about. He’s something else. He’s a man on a mission. I feel like we’re a team on a mission, but he is a man on a mission. You talk about being wired right, a guy that comes in every day, puts in the work, and he’s got so much ability but he’s got the right attitude, too, and I think that’s what makes him dangerous if you’re the opponent.”
Right tackle on a football team is not known as a glamorous position and usually only gets noticed when a mistake was made. In the case of Penei Sewell, he may not have raised awareness of the position, but he goes about his business, not looking for awards or recognition, but rather chasing championships. Ducks’ fans had a relatively brief view of what this man can do and now Detroit has that luxury with a Super Bowl title lurking in the future.
The good times keep on rolling for the Oregon Ducks in the recruiting world. Dan Lanning and the Ducks scored a massive commitment from five-star quarterback Will Mencl out of Chandler, Arizona.
Oregon had been rumored to be leading the race for Mencl’s services for months, but the No. 1 quarterback in the country, per Rivals, cleared the air and committed to the Ducks on Wednesday evening. Mencl chose the Ducks over Auburn and Penn State, both of which battled hard for him down the stretch.
However, Mencl has been connected to Oregon for a long time. While he was offered last fall before breaking out in his junior season, Mencl has been a fan of the program long before he popped up on the Ducks’ recruiting radar. In a post shared by Rivals recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong, Mencl was announced as a quarterback for the Ducks when he was a kid at the 2019 NFL Draft fan experience in 2019.
Now, Mencl is ready to don the green and yellow for real and make his childhood dreams come true. The Ducks have made a point to get Mencl on campus as often as possible and as recently as last week. The continued connection between both sides is ultimately what made the decision easy for the nation’s top passer. Mencl said he told Lanning and the Oregon staff about his decision on Sunday.
“The biggest thing was the relationship with the staff,” Mencl said after committing. “I feel like that continued to grow over time, especially when I first got there last spring. Being able to sit down with Coach Koa, really being an underlooked guy at that time, and kind of blowing up my junior season. And then, the path to the NFL. You can’t deny what they do with quarterbacks and the type of scheme they run. I felt like that was the best fit for me and my family to get to the next level.”
Koa Ka’ai, Oregon’s new quarterback coach, made waves earlier in the offseason after his recruiting test about ice cream flavors went viral, but that doesn’t appear to have scared Mencl off. In fact, the two have a close connection that Oregon hopes will translate to success on the field in the near future.
“My relationship with Coach Koa, I feel like that is super, super strong,” Mencl told Rivals. “I’ve had a lot of discussions with Coach Lanning about the culture there and how they’re going to continue to sustain greatness throughout the program.”
Mencl exploded onto the national recruiting scene with a massive junior season for Chandler. He completed more than 70% of his passes for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns against five interceptions in his junior season, leading Chandler to a state title berth. He also rushed for 741 yards and an additional 17 touchdowns.
The Ducks expect to have some competition for Mencl to compete with when he joins the team for the 2027 season, with Dylan Raiola and Akili Smith Jr. already on the roster and competing for a role as the backup. Oregon has gone to the transfer portal as well in recent seasons, finding success with Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and now Dante Moore.
Oregon has recruited well at quarterback in the past, establishing an NFL pedigree that attracted Mencl. Maybe he will be the one to buck the trend and give the Ducks a true, homegrown product under center.
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.
‘Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,’ a Wine Enthusiast contributor said of an Oregon wine
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Wine Enthusiast released a list of the top 40 sparkling wines around the world in 2026 – highlighting two bottles of bubbly from Oregon.
“While it can seem like you need a fortune to enjoy high quality sparkling wine, you honestly don’t. Excellent affordable bubbles are being produced around the world, often in places you might not expect. Each of the selections on our inaugural Top 40 Sparkling Wines list delivers personality, freshness, and celebration for under $75,” Wine Enthusiast wrote.
Wine Enthusiast divided its list into separate sparkling categories including, Champagne, Italian Bollicine, American sparkling and bottles $25 and under.
Snagging a spot on the American sparkling list: Corollary Wines in McMinnville.
Corollarly’s 2021 Momtazi Carbonic Rosé Pinot Noir scored 96 points from Wine Enthusiast.
“This is a Peter Max print of a wine, with vivid aromas and flavors to match the wine’s electric Kool-Aid color. It is filled to the brim with aromas and flavors of macerated strawberries, candied rose petals, apricots, and a bitter note similar to watermelon rind. Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,” wrote Wine Enthusiast contributor Michael Alberty.
The second Oregon winery to earn a spot on the list: Lytle-Barnett in Dundee.
Wine Enthusiast also gave Lytle-Barnett’s 2018 Brut Rosé Pinot Noir Chardonnay 96 points.
“Bubbles as persistent as an eight-year-old with a question deliver aromas of dried rose petals, macerated strawberries, and a touch of fresh hay and talc. This 70/30 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend is packed with flavors of lemon zest, Honeycrisp apple slices drizzled in caramel, and a dollop of raspberry,” Alberty wrote.
The nods to Corollary and Lytle-Barnett come as the wineries recently helped launch Method Oregon, a nonprofit made up of 50 Oregon wineries aiming to turn Oregon into a global sparkling wine destination.
A 73-year-old man was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years in prison for the 1983 killing of his then-girlfriend. It was a case that went unsolved for more than 40 years.
The sentence was announced by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield.
In July 1983, Teresa Peroni, 27, was reported missing after attending a party in the Selma area of Josephine County southwest of Grants Pass. She was last seen walking in the woods with her boyfriend Marcus Sanfratello.
Authorities deemed Peroni’s disappearance suspicious, but they lacked evidence to bring charges against anyone.
In 1997, a human skull was found on private property near where Peroni disappeared. In 2024, authorities in Josephine County reopened the case. In addition to re-interviewing witnesses, they collected new DNA evidence to build a case against Sanfratello.
With the DNA, experts at the University of North Texas confirmed the skull was Peroni’s.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man arraigned on murder charge in Oregon for death of then-girlfriend in 1980s cold case
A grand jury indicted Sanfratello of second-degree murder, on June 27, 2025.
Police arrested Sanfratello in Chico, California the next day. He was then extradited to Oregon to face the charge of murder.
Under a plea agreement, Sanfratello pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter.
He will serve at least 10 years in prison, Oregon’s attorney general’s office said.
“For Teresa Peroni’s family, this has been a 43-year wait for an answer they never should have had to wait for,” Rayfield said in a news release. “Cases like this remind us of why we don’t give up. It doesn’t matter how many years have passed — if someone took a life, we’re going to keep working until we can hold them accountable.”
-
South Dakota5 minutes agoSDDOT reminds public not to put election signs on state highway rights-of-way
-
Tennessee11 minutes agoWhat TV channel is Alabama baseball vs Tennessee today? Streaming, start times
-
Texas17 minutes agoFirst round of Texas Education Freedom Accounts awarded to priority students
-
Utah23 minutes agoSuazo Business Center, traditionally focused on Latinos, gets $600K grant to expand services
-
Vermont29 minutes agoLetter to the Editor: A different path for Vermont’s environmental future
-
Virginia35 minutes agoWhy the Virginia redistricting referendum wasn’t a slam dunk for Democrats
-
Washington41 minutes agoSpringtime in Washington means it’s time for another round of federal privacy legislation | Brookings
-
Wisconsin47 minutes agoWhat can and can’t you recycle in Wisconsin? Here are the rules to know