The Detroit Lions have a hole at left tackle following the release of Taylor Decker this offseason. After the first wave of free agency, which included Detroit signing veteran tackle Larry Borom, one question lingers: Will the Lions move star Penei Sewell to the blind side?
During a lengthy interview with , general manager Brad Holmes didn't rule out the possibility of the three-time All-Pro right tackle flipping sides.
"I think that's the beauty of having a player like him, you always have that flexibility of the possibility of him playing left tackle," Holmes said. "He's done it before. It's not anything foreign to him. So even as we're going through free agency, we weren't really pigeonholed like, 'We've got to get a left tackle. We've got to get a right tackle.' We were just like, 'What's the best tackle for us?' And then we'll kind of adjust as needed. So that's kind of the beauty of it."
Sewell began his NFL career in 2021 by starting the first eight games at left tackle when Decker was hurt. He then moved to the right side, where he's become a perennial Pro Bowler.
Earlier in the interview, Holmes glowed at what he saw from Borom at right tackle in 11 starts in Miami in 2025, comments that bolster the idea that Sewell could move to LT.
"Seeing what (Borom) did at Miami, especially at right tackle, and then you start looking at the film, and it's like, 'Man, this is probably about the most consistent ball that I've seen him play,'" Holmes said. "Then, you start taking a deeper dive of him at right tackle, even in the past, and you start seeing this level of consistency versus the guard spots or the left tackle spots. Not saying that he can't play those spots, too, because he can, but that's what kept him up there for us."
The Lions signed Borom to a one-year, $5 million contract.
At this stage, there is no need for Holmes to declare how the Lions' tackle situation will ultimately shake out come September. However, barring further additions, whether through free agency or early in the 2026 NFL Draft, the comments suggest it's a good bet Sewell is the No. 1 left tackle option.
Holmes later added that while he'd "never say never" about a reunion with Decker, who remains a free agent, he hasn't had any recent dialogue about bringing the veteran back to Detroit.
