Tuesday open thread: Do you still approve of the Detroit Lions selection of Penei Sewell?

Detroit Lions' first-round pick Penei Sewell is on an absolute tear. Since around Week 6, he’s been not only one of the best rookie offensive linemen, he’s been one of the best NFL tackles in football. He’s moved back to right tackle seamlessly, and despite playing through a shoulder injury, he’s never looked better.

“He’s played through injury, he’s smart, he’s tough, he gives all he’s got and he’s only getting better,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said on Monday. “So, it’s impressive. He’s impressive. He’s one of the better ones I’ve ever been around that’s for sure and he’s just a young buck.”

The Lions got themselves an extremely talented player with their first-round selection. There is little debating that at this point in the season. However, some have recently started to suggest that the Lions may have missed out on a better prospect who was available when they were on the clock with the seventh overall pick.

Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons has been absolutely tearing up the league in his rookie season. He’s essentially already wrapped up Defensive Rookie of the Year, and he may be eyeing Defensive Player of the Year with the way things are going. Parsons’ statline is just plain ridiculous this year:

So today’s Question of the Day is:

Did the Lions make the right decision in drafting Penei Sewell?

My answer: First off, it’s a bit too early to start crowning players as Hall of Famers. One year doesn’t make an entire player’s career. So I think it’s important that we acknowledge this question is at least slightly premature. But, hey, let’s be a little premature.

My answer to the question is an unequivocal yes. Could the Lions use someone exactly as talented as Micah Parsons right now? Absolutely. But if they had someone like him, we may be lamenting the fact that Detroit doesn’t have a proper right tackle. We all saw what happened when Matt Nelson was playing, right?

And when it comes down to it, offensive tackle is generally considered to be a more valuable position when it comes to adding the most important thing to a team: wins.

Plus, we can’t ignore some of the character concerns that were there at the time with Parsons. He’s doing fine in Dallas right now, but they’re winning. Would he be as effective in Detroit with a worse supporting cast and more adversity on a week-to-week basis?

In the end, the Lions got an extremely talented player who culturally fit exactly what they were looking for. It’s very hard to complain about that.

Your turn.