Lomas Brown's first impression of Penei Sewell was that the Detroit Lions drafted the right man to play right tackle and elevate the status of their offensive line.
"The one thing I know that jumps out is how light he is on his feet," Brown said. "That's the one thing, especially being a man of his size."
It isn't one thing about Sewell that impresses Brown.
It's everything.
Size (6-5, 331), athleticism, competitive temperament, the role he'll play, challenges he'll face and how he'll fit in with his new teammates are all traits and issues that Brown considers in analyzing Sewell's value.
Brown is eminently qualified to make these observations. He played 18 NFL seasons at left tackle, with the first 11 with the Lions after being drafted sixth overall in 1985.
Brown made seven Pro Bowls, was All Pro and played in two Super Bowls -- as a starter for the 2000 Giants who lost to the Ravens, and as a backup on the 2002 Bucs team that demolished the Raiders.
Here is Brown's breakdown of Sewell, and it started with this comment: "Did you see how big he is!?"
On his athleticism: "You know how important that is nowadays because teams like to throw screen passes, and they like to get those linemen out in space.
"That's a big asset to have -- to be light on your feet and be able to operate in space."
On competitive attitude: "He has a nasty streak. It's all about the attitude of the player. Make sure you have the right attitude and want to go out there and succeed."
On physical makeup: "I just see a mauler. I see a guy that's going to get at you. He's going to stay on you. He's going to try to finish you.
"I was watching some of the draft coverage on some of these guys. I didn't see a lot of guys finish. That's one of the things that I saw in Sewell.
"He's a finisher. That goes back to the attitude."
On fitting in with veterans: "He's going to do that. I like the comment he made about the first person he was going to call was Tyrell Crosby (they both went to Oregon). They're boys. He (Sewell) seems like a friendly guy. He may be a beast on the field, but he's a nice guy.
"It doesn't take long to get along. As offensive linemen, we go to work like a hand in a glove. That's why normally, the offensive line is the closest group involved with the team."
On competing after being beaten: "That's when you're going to know how mentally tough he is. Somebody's going to do it to you. It's how mentally tough you are, and how mentally able you are to bounce back."
On how Sewell improves the line: Brown said that the Lions now have the potential to have their best offensive line since the early 1990s, when Brown, Eric Andolsek, Kevin Glover, Mike Utley, Scott Conover and Ken Dallafior were the leaders of the unit.
"That he fell to us, it's a blessing. We were having trouble staying on the field. With his addition, we'll be able to get those third and ones, those fourth and short.
"It brings a level of confidence that you know you've got an offensive line, five guys up front, that if you need to go get a yard, need to clear this hole, you got guys who'll go out and do it.
"We should have one of the better offensive lines in the league, I'm looking forward to this."
