The Pro Day season is winding down, but the Falcons are expected to attend Oregon’s Pro Day and scout offensive tackle Penei Sewell on Friday in Eugene, Oregon.
Oregon has closed its Pro Day to the media and is not having any media availability, as most of the top schools in the nation have done.
The Falcons hold the fourth overall pick in the coming draft, and Sewell clearly is on their radar screen, as they’ve already had a virtual meeting with him.
Sewell, 20, opted out of the last season. He played in only 21 college games, but left a mark on the Ducks’ program.
Sewell, who’s 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, is from Malaeimi, American Samoa, but played high school football in Utah.
He picked Oregon over Alabama, Utah and USC.
Many other schools -- Arizona State, Arkansas, BYU, California, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Nevada, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon State, Tennessee, UCLA, Utah State, Washington and Washington State -- also gave him a scholarship offer.
He started immediately as a freshman, and the Ducks were 17-3 in the 20 games he started.
He’s a mauler in the run game and athletic and agile in pass protection.
Sewell allowed just one sack over 1,376 snaps. After the 2018 season, Sewell earned the highest grade (95.5) that Pro Football Focus has given a lineman. He led the nation with a 95.3 run-blocking grade and was third with a pass-blocking grade of 91.1.
Sewell replaced four-year starter Tyrell Crosby, who is with the Detroit Lions.
The Falcons have an opening at left guard, and Sewell could start immediately at all four positions along the line except center, according to one NFL executive.
“He’s legitimate,” the executive told the AJC.
The Falcons could start Sewell and solidify the line, but he would be next to second-year center Matt Henessy. Starting a rookie and a first-time starter might be too risky, but they could elect to move a veteran into left guard and start Sewell at another spot.
Either general manager Terry Fontenot or coach Arthur Smith, sometimes both, attended the Pro Day of the top prospects in the draft, which include Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance, Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, and LSU’s wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
Falcons’ 2021 draft position: Here are the top nine picks in D. Led’s Mock Draft 3.0:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence (QB, Clemson)
2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson, (QB, BYU)
3. San Francisco 49ers: Trey Lance (QB, North Dakota State)
4. Denver Broncos (trade with Falcons): Justin Fields (QB, Ohio State)
5. Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell (OT, Oregon)
6. Miami Dolphins: DeVonta Smith (WR, Alabama)
7. Detroit Lions: Ja’Marr Chase (WR, LSU)
8. Carolina Panthers: Mac Jones (QB, Alabama)
9. Falcons (trade with Broncos): Micah Parsons, (OLB, Penn State)
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